JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (8-2) will take a first crack at winning the 1,200th game in program history when Belmont Abbey (3-8) comes to Holt Fieldhouse to close out both non-conference play and 2023 with a 4 p.m. tip Saturday.
"We are thankful to have had time with family and friends this holiday season," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "We are also thankful to be back together as a team. I am eager to see where this second semester takes us on this journey as a team."
Carson-Newman takes aim at its 1,200th win in program history. Head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson has been at the helm for the program's 1000th and 1100th victories. C-N won its 1000th game all-time at Lees-McRae to open the 2012 season, rallying from down 17 to get there. The 1100th victory came on Nov. 29, 2017 over Mars Hill 92-64 behind 16-point nights from Josh Murray and Mason Bates.
Nick Brenegan has scored in double digits in 15 consecutive games. He is the only Eagle with a double-digit scoring effort in every game this year for C-N. Brenegan is averaging 16.5 points per game in his 21 career starts.
Brenegan's 4.7 made triples per game are the most in the country. He has buried 47 this season, second nationally by pure volume. If he were to maintain this pace, he would break Ish Sanders' single-season record of 99 and become the first Eagle with triple-digit threes in a seaosn. He also ranks 13th nationally and tops in the SAC in percentage at 49.0 percent for the season.
Brenegan has buried multiple threes in every game this season. He's made a three in 16 straight games dating back to last season. He has made at least three threes in six straight games.
The quartet of John Zhao, Nick Brenegan, Jack Browder and Trey Hubbard all averages more than 14 points per game, with Zhao leading the way at 20.4 points per game - second in the SAC. Carson-Newman is the only school in the league with four players in the top 20 in scoring. Wingate and Limestone both have three players in the top 20 in scoring in the league.
John Zhao already has six, 20-point games in his junior season. No player for Carson-Newman has had more than six in a season since Grant Teichmann had eight in 2018-19. The last player with six or more before the Christmas break was Charles Clark (2015-18). He had seven 20-point games in the first semester of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
Belmont Abbey head coach David Belfield is the second coach to lineup against Chuck Benson after playing against him as a player (SWU's Brian Hewitt is the other). Belfield went 0-2 against the Eagles at USC AIken. He had a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double in Carson-Newman's 87-79 win over the Pacers at the Convocation Center on Nov. 21, 2015.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Crusaders is set for 4 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 3:45 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.
