HARROGATE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman's Ishmael Sanders had 19 points and Antoine Davis 18 points as the Eagles blew by Hiawasse College, 81-58, on Friday night at the LMU/Debusk Classic in Tex Turner Arena.
Sanders connected on 6-of-9 three-point attempts and Davis made 8-of-16 field goals as the Eagles improved to 3-3 on the season. Hiawasse falls to 3-6. C-N returns to action on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against Ohio State-Mansfield.
Carson-Newman used a 17-5 spurt in the middle of the first half to break open a one-point game.
A jumper by Collin Crane at the 10:37 mark started the run, giving the Eagles a 16-13 lead. Guard Kevin Leatherwood, who saw his first action of the season Friday night, followed with a steal-and-score on the ensuing possession to move C-N out by five. He would add a second steal during the run, feeding Marcellous Perez for a layup to give the Eagles their first double-digit lead, 26-16.
Sanders helped the Eagles hold off a hot-shooting Tigers team early. He made consecutive threes during the Eagle run.
Hiawasse made four of its seven made three-pointers in the opening 11 minutes.
Davis would join the act down the stretch of the first half. He had four straight C-N field goals as the Eagles built their largest lead of the first half at 33-18. It would also lead by 15 at the break.
Carson-Newman would wear down Hiawasse in the second half. The Tigers managed just six points in the final 7:73 as C-N pulled away.
The Eagles grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and shot 51 percent (29-of-57) from the floor to control the game, but shot only 56 percent (14-of-25) at the line to keep the Tigers in the game.
Sanders and Davis were the only Eagles in double figures, but all 13 Eagles that played in the game scored. Freshman Elliott Pope had an early career high of eight in only 10 minutes.
The Eagles forced 24 turnovers, but committed 20.