Chuck Benson By The Slice – Lenoir-Rhyne preview

C-N Game Notes 

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman (13-6, 10-5 South Atlantic Conference) will attempt to seek redress from its worst loss of the season when Lenoir-Rhyne (11-8, 10-5 SAC) comes to town Saturday for a 4 p.m. tip at Holt Fieldhouse.

The Eagles fell 68-56 to the Bears earlier in the year, at times trailing by 20. That margin marks the largest deficit for the Eagles this season. Carson-Newman has struggled with the Bears offensively during Chuck Benson's tenure at Mossy Creek. L-R is the only team in the league against whom the Eagles haven't scored more than 70 under Benson.

Secondly, L-R is the only team in the league that neither Ish Sanders (Cleveland, Tenn.) nor Antoine Davis (Rustburg, Va.) have failed to score 20 points against in their careers at Mossy Creek.

"They don't give up easy shots, either around the basket or in transition," Benson said. "Like most well-coached teams, they make you have other guys step up. Hopefully we're better now than we were when played them in December."

The Eagles' 56 points from that game is a season low.  It also marked the first time since they'd started playing together at Carson-Newman that Sanders and Davis had both been held to single digits. 

"The loss to Lenoir-Rhyne hasn't been firing us since then," C-N head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "Now it is nice to have already played them.  We know their cast of characters and what they are about."

The Bears have won four straight after dropping three consecutive road contests.  They're 2-6 away from Shuford Memorial Gymnasium this season. 

L-R is led in scoring by RJ McClure, who posts 18.3 points per game. 

"He's one of the most improved players in this league and is an intelligent high IQ player," Benson said. "He's always played solid against us and has his nose in the mix on multiple levels.  Between McLure, Perry, Rob Noyes and Allan Jones; they'll come in here ready to play."

Tipoff Saturday is slated for 4 p.m. Pregame coverage on the Eagle Sports Network gets underway at 3:45 on 106.3 ESPN Radio The Zone (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.