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JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Two of the country's most efficient offenses will match wits when Carson-Newman (12-3, 5-2 South Atlantic Conference) and UVA Wise (8-8, 4-4 SAC) match wits Wednesday night in Holt Fieldhouse at 7:30 p.m.
"Wise is one of the best offensive teams in our region," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "It'll be a challenge for us. Blake Mellinger has done a really nice job getting them to compete these last couple years. Our defense and rebounding will have to be locked in."
The teams split their meetings last year, with the home team winning both games.
Carson-Newman and UVA Wise feature the two most-efficient offenses in the South Atlantic Conference. The Eagles and Cavs are one and two in the league in field goal percentage, effective field goal percentage and three-point percentage. C-N is second in the league in scoring. UVA Wise ranks seventh, but puts up 82.6 points per game in the high-scoring SAC.
Nick Brenegan's 5.21 made triples per game are the most in the country. He has buried 73 this season. also first nationally among all divisions 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. There have been 11 triple-digit three-point seasons in SAC history. He also ranks third nationally and tops in the SAC in percentage at 52.5 percent for the season.
Brenegan has made more threes this season than 39 teams in NCAA Division II. His 73 threes are already tied for the 18th most in a single-season in Carson-Newman basketball history. Another four-three game will move him into a tie with Antoin Davis for the 10th most in a season in school history.
Brenegan has buried multiple threes in every game this season, but the Lincoln Memorial contest. He's made a three in 21 straight games dating back to last season. He has made at least three threes in nine of the last 10 games.
Brenegan, John Zhao, Jack Browder and Trey Hubbard account for a third of the top 12 in the SAC in scoring. The quartet combines to average 71.2 points per game. They average more points per game than Newberry does as a team.
Carson-Newman is one of the top rebounding teams in the country. The Eagles have outrebounded every team they have faced with the exception of Tusculum. Carson-Newman is sixth nationally and number one in the league in total rebounds, averaging 42.29 per game. C-N's 11.3 rebounding margin ranks number one in the nation. Carson-Newman had produced three, three-game streaks where they outrebounded their foes by double digits in Chuck Benson's first 13 years with the program. The Eagles can do that three times this season. Carson-Newman only has one four-game streak with double-digit rebounding margins in Benson's tenure as head coach. The Eagles can match that against UVA Wise.
Carson-Newman has been on another level offensively at home. C-N has topped triple digits in six of its eight home games. The Eagles average 102.1 points at home, while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from three.
An eighth triple-digit scoring performance this year would match the 2017-18 team for the most in a season in the NCAA era. Carson-Newman hasn't had double-digit, triple-digit performances in a single-season since Chris Jones was coaching in the 1980s. The 1970-71 team holds the record with 12 such games.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Cavs is set for Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins 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 with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloMBB.
