In men’s college basketball the Davidson Wildcats kept the Hornets Nest trophy with a 62-55 win over the Charlotte 49ers on Tuesday night. The Wildcats host Bowling Green Saturday. The Niners visit Virginia Tech Sunday.

For the first time since the 1970s, Johnson C. Smith will play for the CIAA football championship. The Golden Bulls beat Livingstone over the weekend to reach the title game. They’ll face defending champion Virginia Union Saturday at 3 p.m. in Durham.

Just when it looked like the Carolina Panthers had turned the corner with a big win against a good team last week, they crashed back to earth on Sunday, losing 17-7 at home to the New Orleans Saints who were 1-8 coming in. Quarterback Bryce Young was frustrated after throwing for just over 100 yards with an interception.

The Charlotte Hornets lost the lead late and lost the game Tuesday night to the previously winless New Orleans Pelicans, 116-112. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller did not play. The Hornets visit the Miami Heat Friday night.

It's been six years since there was this much hope surrounding the Carolina Panthers. That was the last time the team stood at 5-4 on the season and they got there on Sunday via a last-second field goal by rookie Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald to beat the Green Bay Packers 16-13 who had the top record in the conference before the game. Defensive lineman Derrick Brown said the Panthers are becoming a team that’s not just an easy time for opponents."We've been looked at for so long as a team where people say they're gonna just come in and get an automatic win. So for us to come out here, be competing down to the wire, this is what we do, this is what we want, right? This is the culture that Dan and Dave all top down, this is what they bought in, and you know this is what they want to instill in us so we can be able to execute in the game. So I mean, like we said today after the game, man, all we all we need is us and be able to go out and execute and do what we do," he said. Running back Rico Dowdle had another big game, rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

Charlotte FC survived a must-win match against New York City on Saturday to earn a decisive game 3 at home in the Major League Soccer Playoffs with a shootout win. Charlotte goal keeper Kristijan Kahlina said he expects another intense match. "We play home. I know that our crowd will be behind us. We have big advantage and even for us, we have some bigger experience from last year," he said. Kickoff at Bank of America is at 7 pm Friday.

The Charlotte Hornets lost their second game of the season against the Miami Heat on the road Tuesday night, 144-117. Five Hornets finished the game in double figures, with guard LaMelo Ball leading the way with 20 points. The Hornets will return to the Spectrum Center on Thursday night to take on the Orlando Magic.

Charlotte FC struggled on a wet, cold evening at Bank of America Stadium and lost game 1 of the best-of-three series to New York City 1-nil on Tuesday. Team captain Ashley Westwood said a sluggish start doomed Charlotte.