VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (7-13, 4-10 South Atlantic Conference) will need a short memory when it heads to Stanford Arena to take on Mars Hill (9-11, 7-7 SAC) Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
Carson-Newman is coming off a 75-72 loss to Anderson. The Trojans won it at the horn after trailing by six with 86 seconds to play on a three-quarters court Quin Nottingham buzzer beater.
"If you do anything long enough, you're bound to experience everything at least once," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "The response since from our players has, at least on the surface level, been positive. We'll be ok. The focus is on this week. We've had quality practices and have had good responses to what we're going to do next."
Carson-Newman will try to put a halt to an eight-game road losing streak. The Eagles haven't won away from Holt since March 2, 2019 with an 89-78 win at Newberry. It's the Eagles longest road skid since C-N lost nine straight away from Holt from Feb. 5, 2011 to Jan. 25 2012. C-N snapped that skid when the Eagles handed fifth-ranked LMU a 64-61 defeat in Harrogate. Carson-Newman has just one win in its last 14 road games.
Carson-Newman is looking to avoid its second ever season sweep against Mars Hill. The Lions downed Carson-Newman 94-78 and 87-79 during the 2009-10 season. Carson-Newman has dropped back-to-back games inside of Stanford Arena, losing 87-74 last year and 78-77 on two technical free throws during the 2017-18 campaign.
"I think they are super talented," Benson said. "They have multiple guys who on any given night that can have incredible performances. We know it'll be tough. We're both in a position where we're trying to get ourselves into the postseason tournament. You know you'll have your hands full with a team of this caliber."
In spite of a 7-13 record, C-N has outscored its opponents 1686-1671. Carson-Newman has a greater margin of victory than five South Atlantic Conference teams.
Since returning from injury, Jayla McGill has had a hot hand from long range. The UNC Charlotte transfer has made 6-of-12 threes in his last three games. McGill is averaging 8.7 points per game since his return from injury.
Mars Hill is elite at getting to the free throw line. The Lions are 19th nationally in free throws made (373) and do so at a 78 percent clip that ranks second in the league and 19th in the country. Ja'Shawn Brooks is 122-for-137 at the stripe. He has taken and made the second most free throws in the conference. His 89.1 free throw percentage is 17th in the country and the best tally in the SAC.
Brooks is the conference's third leading scorer, averaging 20.1 points per game. Brooks has been held to single-digit performances just twice this season. He was limited to four at Lincoln Memorial on 1-of-6 shooting. He had five two games later at Lenoir-Rhyne when he went 1-for-11 from the field and 0-of-5 from three. Brooks has gone for 20 twice in the three games since then. Brooks has 10, 20-point games on the year and a pair of 30-point performances.
Strangely, Mars Hill has been a better offensive team away from home than inside Stanford Arena. The Lions average 8.4 more points per game on the road than at home. That includes 36.1 percent shooting from three on the road versus 32.5 percent at home.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Lions is slated for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 7:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.