VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
VIDEO: Tripp Davis Interview
VIDEO: Luke Brenegan Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (6-3, 4-2 South Atlantic Conference) earned a fifth straight victory behind a complete second-half performance and an 83-64 win at UVA Wise (0-9, 0-7 SAC) Wednesday night at the Prior Convocation Center.
Carson-Newman converted on 17-of-27 shots to open the second half and turned a five-point halftime lead to the Eagles' 15th straight win over the Highland Cavaliers.
"We talked about it coming into this game that we need to be more decisive offensively," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "I don't know why, because we have a really good shooting team, that our perimeters have been hesitant because of how open they've been. If a defense is giving us shots, we need to take those shots. Thankfully after halftime, Luke started pulling. Our defense was solid enough that once we got that burst, we were able to put it away."
All the while, Carson-Newman's defensive intensity kept the Highland Cavaliers at bay. Carson-Newman held UVA Wise to 33 percent shooting after halftime and 38.3 percent shooting for the game. The Cavs didn't hit a three in the second half and only knocked down 3-of-21 (14.3 percent) for the game.
The shooting percentages mean C-N has held three straight opponents below 40 percent shooting. The Eagles have held their last three foes below 65 points.
Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) scored his 1,000th point for his collegiate career with a layup late in the first half. He finished with 10 points and sits at 1,006 points, 752 of which have come in his time at C-N.
"We celebrate that in the locker room," Benson said. "It's a major accomplishment, especially having done it at two schools, makes it a more impressive accomplishment. I know him well enough to know it's much more about what we as a team can achieve."
While Davis had the individual accomplishment, it was Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) who put things away for C-N in the second half. Carson-Newman led 48-43 with 13:47 to play when Brenegan canned back-to-back triples to turn the five-point edge into C-N's first double-digit lead of the night.
A heat-check triple that banked in and a 17-foot two gave C-N a 61-48 lead two minutes later. Wise would not get within single-digits the rest of the game.
Carson-Newman dominated the glass. C-N tallied its second game this year with at least a +15 margin on the glass. The Eagles tallied 50 rebounds for the first time since Jan. 16, 2021 against Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Eagles had 52 rebounds to the Cavaliers' 33. The Eagles tallied 18 offensive rebounds and had an 18-10 advantage in second chance points.
"On both sides of the ball, we were committed to getting to the glass," Benson said. "That's been a greater point of emphasis for our team. If our defense is right, we have a chance to be good on the glass. Credit to our guys, they understand that it's all connected."
Davis was one of four Eagles in double-figures. Brenegan led all scorers with 18 on 6-of-10 shooting and 4-of-8 from long range. He was 5-for-6 from the field and 4-for-5 from beyond the arc for 14 points after halftime. He came within an assist of matching has career high with seven.
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EJ Bush (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) added in 13 points while Bryant Thomas (Charlotte, N.C.) tallied 12 on 5-of-7 shooting. Thomas added in a career-best 12 rebounds for his third career double-double.
Joel Pettiford led four Cavs in double digits with 17. He also added in eight rebounds. Ben Bryan tallied 11 while Kaeleb Carter and Brandon Dean each had 10. Carter and Dean were a combined 8-for-26 from the field.
Carson-Newman handed out at least 20 assists for a fourth time this season. The Eagles had 21 dimes on 33 made baskets. Davis had five for a third time this season, while Nick Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) dished out a career-high four.
The Eagles have won all three of their meetings with the Cavs at the Prior Center by a minimum of 15 points since the Cavs joined the SAC.
Carson-Newman stays on the road Saturday with a trip to Newberry. Tipoff from Eleazer Arena is set for 4:00 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
