VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
WINGATE, N.C. – Destin Clark tipped a ball in with 7.8 seconds left in overtime to get Wingate (15-4, 11-4 SAC) to an 82-79 overtime win over Carson-Newman (12-6, 9-5 SAC) Saturday afternoon at Cuddy Arena.
Carson-Newman's players erupted pleading for a call of offensive goaltending that would not come.
"If you were a fan you got your money's worth today," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "I can't wait to watch this one back because I have a lot of questions about a lot of things. I felt like it was such a war and battle. Both teams were amped up and emotional and that created some extra things.
C-N had a look at the cup on the ensuing possession, but Tyler Bowens (Greenville, S.C.) layup was strong off the window and C-N couldn't corral the rebound. Wingate's Jarren Cottingham was fouled after the carom and knocked down two free throws with 0.7 seconds left to ice the game.
A Nick Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) 30-foot heave at the horn was blocked.
"I never felt the tide turned in this one," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "It was just a heated, contested battle for 45 minutes. It came down to the very end of regulation and overtime.
The loss snaps Carson-Newman's five-game win streak this season and its four-game win streak over Wingate. Meanwhile, it extends a string of overtime losses to three straight for the Eagles. Wingate extends its win streak to four straight games while earning a season-split with the Eagles.
Wingate ended up closing the game on a 6-0 run. Ren Dyer (Weaverville, N.C.) canned a corner three to put the Eagles up three with 52 seconds left in the overtime session. However, Cottingham got the hoop and the harm on the ensuing possession to cut it to one with 31 seconds left after missing the and-one free throw.
Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.), who was 45-of-49 at the stripe in the final five minutes of games entering the contest, missed a pair of free throws to set up the Bulldogs' winning possession.
Clark carried Wingate's water all night with a career high 28 – more than four times his season average. Clark was efficient, making 11-of-18 shots to go along with 12 rebounds for the third double-double C-N has allowed all year. Clark had scored a season-high 13 points against UVA Wise and had just four double-digit scoring efforts coming in.
"We didn't impact their three-ball as well as I had hoped," Benson said. "But Clark was a one-man wrecking crew. I'm disappointed we weren't up for the challenge that he brought individually. I take personal responsibility for that. I knew that dude was trending right, and I don't think that we did a good enough job explaining how good he could potentially be."
C-N was able to put the clamps down on the league's third-leading scorer Cottingham, who came in averaging 18.3 a game. Cottingham finished with 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting and an 0-for-5 effort from three.
Carson-Newman had the ball with a chance to take the lead in both in the end of regulation and overtime.
"In regulation, we just turned it over off a miscue on the entry pass," Benson said. "I've got to do a better jjob having these guys capable of making that pass. In overtime, I think we were stunned that EJ made a 60-foot pass that Tyler takes to the rim and then misses a contest layup. However, if we have one guy crash instead of two, we probably get a tip layin to win this game."
All five starters finished in double-figures scoring for C-N. Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) turned in his 12th career 20-point game with a season-high 23. Davis also had six steals, one off his career high and school record he shares with Kyle Gribble.
Bryant Thomas (Charlotte, N.C.) had a double-double in 27 minutes before getting knocked out of the game with an elbow that opened up a laceration above Thomas' left eye. Thomas finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Dyer, Luke Brenegan and EJ Bush (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) all finished with 11.
Wingate became the second team to shoot better than 45 percent from the field on C-N this season. The Bulldogs finished at 49.2 percent while knocking down 10-of-25 threes.
C-N has a day off before travelling to Anderson Monday for a 6 p.m. tip. Airtime on the Eagle Sports Network is set for 5:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
