CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Interstat) — A surging individual performance will clash with a team seeking consistency when East Carolina visits Charlotte in an American Athletic Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at Halton Arena. The Pirates (9-17, 4-9 AAC) arrive reeling from a heartbreaking 92-89 double-overtime loss to Wichita State on Wednesday, despite a monumental effort from guard Jordan Riley. The 49ers (13-13, 7-6) look to halt a four-game skid, most recently a 79-74 defeat at Tulsa. All eyes will be on East Carolina’s Riley, who has been on a historic scoring tear. He poured in 40 points in 48 minutes against the Shockers, marking his fifth game with at least 32 points in his last seven outings. Over that stretch, the guard is averaging 28.6 points per game, carrying a heavy offensive load for the struggling Pirates. Charlotte will counter with its own dynamic guard in Dezayne Mingo. He nearly recorded a double-double with 19 points and nine assists in the loss to Tulsa. Mingo has been a key facilitator and scorer for the 49ers, who have shown flashes but struggled with recent defensive lapses, allowing an average of 84.5 points during their losing streak. The teams met just over a month ago, with Charlotte escaping Greenville, N.C., with a 73-70 victory on Jan. 18. The 49ers will aim to complete the regular-season sweep on their home floor, where they are 9-5 this season. East Carolina, 2-9 in true road games, will need more than just Riley’s heroics to reverse that trend and avenge the earlier loss. For Charlotte, finding an answer for Riley is the primary defensive challenge. For East Carolina, developing a consistent secondary scoring option behind its star and improving its road defense will be critical to pulling an upset. Tipoff is set for Saturday afternoon in a contest with implications for the AAC tournament seeding.