JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – While Carson-Newman (5-5, 4-5 South Atlantic Conference) hasn't squared off with Limestone )1-9, 1-9 SAC) in four years, when the Saints arrive in Holt Fieldhouse for Monday's 6 p.m. tip, it'll be with a familiar face on the sidelines.
Kyle Perry is in year two at the helm of the Saints program. Perry accounts on his resume a six year stint on the banks of Mossy Creek as an assistant coach and associate head coach for Dale Clayton and the Eagle men's basketball program in the early 2000s.
"Kyle and I are buddies and have been buddies for a long time," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "I'm glad he has the opportunity to lead his own program at this level and in this league. His knowledge of C-N is unlike anyone else in this league. I know he'll be extra zesty and fired up for this."
Perry helped Carson-Newman to a South Atlantic Conference championship in his first season as an assistant during the 2002-03 season. He was Dale Clayton's associate head coach in his fourth and final year on the banks of Mossy Creek. This marks the first time since Chuck Benson has been head coach that a former Eagle assistant has returned to Holt Fieldhouse to coach against Carson-Newman as the head coach of another school.
Carson-Newman has the league's second-best scoring defense - averaging 66.6 points allowed per game, a figure that ranks 27th nationally. Carson-Newman boasts the league's second-best field goal percentage defense. The Eagles rank 12th nationally in allowing opponents to shoot 39.5 percent from the field. Tusculum is the only team to shoot better than 45 percent on Carson-Newman this season.
Although the Eagles dropped their last contest, a 70-59 decision at LMU, the Eagles held the No. 2 Railsplitters 27 points below their season average and to their worst shooting night in two years.
"The great thing about LMU and this semester has been that our guys continue to gain confidence on both sides of the ball," Benson said. "I like where we are from a practice standpoint and a game experience standpoint. I think we continue to trend in the right direction."
Part of the Eagles defensive standing comes from shot blocking. Carson-Newman leads the SAC and ranks 11th nationally with 4.4 blocks per game. If the season were to end today, Carson-Newman would set a new school record for average shots blocked per contest. Bryant Thomas has swatted 20 shots this year to rank second in the country.
Carson-Newman has won three straight games at home and is looking to win four consecutive in Holt for the first time since winning 15 straight at home from Jan. 18, 2017 to Jan. 17, 2018.
This will be the first meeting between the Eagles and Saints as conference members. C-N has won two straight in the series which resumes after a three-year hiatus.
Limestone has struggled offensively this year. The Saints shoot 38.2 percent from the floor and average 67.8 points per game. Those figures are last in the SAC in offensive efficiency and 190th out of 193 teams in NCAA Division II. The Saints 67.4 points per game ranks 12th in the league and 160th nationally.
The Saints have been outscored on average by 16.8 points per game. The Saints are 187th in the country in scoring margin. However, that number is slightly inflated because of two games against LMU. The Railsplitters beat the Saints by 53 and 34 points. Of the Saints nine losses, only four have been by double digits. Queens beat the Saints by 29, as did Anderson.
The Saints are led by Ayo Dada. He averages 16.7 points per game. He has scored in double digits in seven straight games.
"When he really gets going he can open you up with shots from the perimeter," Benson said. "But he really is great at going to the basket off the bounce while pursuing opportunities on the offensive glass. He is a big, physical athletic guy who will challenge the interior of our defense."
Limestone will be looking to snap a 17-game road losing streak. The Saints haven't won away from the Timken Center since Nov. 20, 2019 in a 73-66 win at Coker. The Saints are the owners of the fifth-longest active road losing streak in NCAA Division II
Tipoff between the Eagles and Saints is set for 6 p.m. Monday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 5:45 p.m. with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
