VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
HARROGATE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (10-5, 4-1 South Atlantic Conference) coughed up 16 turnovers and had two separate four-minute scoring droughts that No. 6/5 Lincoln Memorial (15-1, 6-0 SAC) took advantage of in an 84-76 win for the hosts Saturday afternoon at Tex Turner Arena.
Carson-Newman led 23-18 with seven minutes left in the first half following a stretch where LMU only made one shot in 10. Then the Railsplitters got hot, rattling off a 15-2 run while C-N turned it over seven times in a seven-minute stretch. LMU wouldn't trail again, even though C-N cut it to one a couple times in the second half.
"We had 16 turnovers. That led to 22 points for them," head coach Chuck Benson said. "It's something we have addressed, it's something ouir guys are aware of and its something that they hate. I want to try to deflate whatever pressure they are feeling internally from it. However, it is clearly impacting performance and clearly impacting outcome in four of our five losses."
For a second straight game, Carson-Newman had more than 15 turnovers. Eight of those were live ball steals for the Railsplitters. LMU only coughed it up nine times. The Railsplitters owned a 22-8 edge in points scored off giveaways.
Carson-Newman is collective minus-56 in points off turnovers in its five losses.
"I thought we had some good stretches today where we performed well enough to win," Benson said. "But against a team like LMU defends so well and is so efficient offensively and hasn't lost at home in four years, you can't lay down turnovers. You've pretty much pointed a gun at your foot when you do that. At some point, we will gain the confidence, skill and awareness to be better with the ball."
The Eagles made one more shot than LMU and limited the conference's most efficient shooting team to 43.9 percent shooting, just its third game below 45 percent shooting on the season.
Meanwhile, Carson-Newman became just the second team to outrebound LMU this season. The Eagles' 35-28 edge on the glass is the largest rebounding margin LMU has allowed this season.
"We will emphasize and promote the positives to our guys," Benson said. "We are big believers that winning and losing are outcomes, and you get those outcomes based on things you can control. Having said that, I thought there were some things that we controlled that do lead to winning. But with a team like LMU, you can't give them wiggle room. Today the turnovers were that wiggle room."
Carson-Newman shot 47.3 percent from the field. The Eagles became the third team to knock down more than 45 percent of their shots against the Railsplitters this season.
Ren Dyer (Weaverville, N.C.) paced Carson-Newman with 20 points, his fourth career 20-point game. He was 6-of-13 from the field and 7-of-8 at the line. He also added in five boards.
Bryant Thomas (Charlotte, N.C.) and Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) each had 13.
LMU's Mekell Buries led all scorers with 23. He was 8-of-16 from the floor and 4-of-8 from three. Chase Rankin tallied 19, albeit on 6-of-17 shooting. Matthew Sells and Quay Kennedy both had 11 points.
Both teams put on a free-throw shooting clinic. Carson-Newman converted on 20-of-24 free throws (83.3 percent), while LMU made 25-of-28 (89.3 percent).
Carson-Newman plays another rivalry game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Holt Fieldhouse against Tusculum. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 7:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available through FloSports at cneagles.com/flombb.
