VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Nick Brenegan Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (8-5, 7-5 South Atlantic Conference) led wire-to-wire for the first time all season in drubbing Catawba (4-7, 4-7 SAC) 81-62 Saturday evening in Holt Fieldhouse.
The Eagles singed the nets to the tune of 66 percent shooting (31-of-47) from the field and a 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) effort from long range. The effort goes down as the third-best shooting performance in school history.
It also goes down as the first time that Carson-Newman shot better than 60 percent from the field since Feb. 13, 2019 at Anderson.
JanuRENry never has to end!@Rendyer2000 with the steal and slam!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 6, 2021
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Carson-Newman dominated inside with a season-high 48 points in the paint. Quite literally, every basket that Carson-Newman scored that wasn't a three came from inside the painted area.
"That was the recipe and the mix that was working," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "We have really sound scoring inside. We took what they gave us and guys were willing to share the ball once it went in there. We got a number of good shots."
Four players finished in double-digits for Carson-Newman as the Eagles dropped 20 dimes for a second-straight game.
Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) led all scorers with 17. He burst forth for 14 after halftime, finishing 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from three. Brenegan has knocked down 12 of his last 20 threes.
Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points. He was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and also snagged seven boards, handed off a career-best six assists and swiped three steals.
Joshuwa Butts (Fairburn, Ga.) reset his career high with his first-ever double-digit performance. Butts went 5-of-7 from the field to finish with 11. Tyler Bowens (Greenville, S.C.) wrapped up his fifth career double-digit effort with 10. He had three dunks, something no Eagle has done in a single game since Josh Murray in 2018.
"Yet again, the evolution of our freshmen is present," Benson said. "Those guys' fingerprints are all over this one. Those guys are just the right mix to get things rolling."
Carson-Newman burst forth from the gates on a 6-0 run to grab a lead it would never lose. Catawba had ground the lead down to one on a Marcus Burwell three with 7:58 to go in the first half. The Indians wouldn't score for another 3:30.
In the interim, Carson-Newman rattled off a 12-0 run to grab a double-digit lead, 33-21. Ren Dyer (Weaverville, N.C.) glided to the rim for a fast break layup before Bowen sneaked behind the Indians defense and threw down a two-handed jam off a Butts feed to cap the burst.
"The concept of team is so fragile, especially in today's society and how the individual is glorified," Benson said. "We truly have a team. Guys are lost in that and are about the team first. That's a testament to who they are as people, how they were raised and their belief system."
Catawba did rally, drawing within five early in the second half following a 10-2 run spanning the halftime break.
✅ First time shooting 60+% since Feb. 2019
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 7, 2021
✅ 6⃣ straight double-digit wins at home@CN_Hoops has won six of its last seven pic.twitter.com/W4lc1Fi6p0
However, Nick Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) hunted down a couple threes and EJ Bush (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) hit a turn-around J from the middle of the lane to give C-N an 8-1 run and a 54-41 lead with 12:30 to play.
Catawba got back within single digits with 4:43 to play following a Carter Phillips three, but C-N finished the game outscoring the Indians 16-6 the rest of the way.
Larry McLeod guided Catawba with 17 points. He was 6-of-13 from the field, but 1-of-5 from deep. Burwell and Terrence Whitfield each finished with 11.
C-N limited Catawba to 35.4 percent shooting, the fourth straight foe that C-N has kept below 40 percent shooting. The Indians were 7-for-24 (29.2 percent) from deep.
The Eagles scored a season-high 20 points on the fast break.
�� �� �� Both Brenegan's are feeling it in Holt. @BreneganLuke
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 6, 2021
with a triple and his brother Nick answers with a duo to fall from deep.
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Carson-Newman hits the road for the first time in the month of February Wednesday. The Eagles head up the Clinch Valley to tangle with UVA Wise from the Prior Convocation Center at 7:30. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts 15 minutes prior to gametime with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
