JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (3-1) returns to the friendly confines of Holt Fieldhouse with a 7 p.m. tip Tuesday night and the Eagles' first-ever meeting with Johnson & Wales (1-1).
Carson-Newman is looking to open the doors to Holt Fieldhouse with a win for a fourth consecutive season. The Eagles are 11-3 under Chuck Benson in home openers. The only losses have come to Newberry (2020), Coker (2014) and Belmont Abbey (2010).
Senior shooting guard Nick Brenegan became the eighth member of the 200 three club at Carson-Newman against King on Saturday. He has 205 triples in his career, and needs three more to catch Braun Dabbs (2001-04) for sixth all-time with his 208. Catching Antoine Davis isn't outside the realm of possibility. He is fifth in school history with 2013. Brenegan has hit eight threes twice before in a game in his career, so while unlikely, it's still inside the realm of possibility.
The 1,000-point watch for Carson-Newman's 41st member of the 1K club in C-N history is on. Brenegan sits on 971 career points, 29 away. Carson-Newman's last 1,000-point club member was Nick's older brother Luke, who is on the C-N coaching staff as an assistant. Luke finished his C-N career with 1,115 points. Chuck Benson has coached 10 members of Carson-Newman's 1,000-point club.
This is Carson-Newman's first meeting with Johnson & Wales. The Wildcats are members of the USCAA. This is C-N's first meeting with a USCAA team since playing Hiwasee. Chuck Benson had the brilliant idea to play the Tigers twice during the 2012-13 season, including a visit to Madisonville and Randy Yuell Gym. C-N won both games that season against Hiwassee, who also acted as C-N's Holt Fieldhouse-opening foe in 2012. The Eagles prevailed 93-60.
Carson-Newman is clicking into the offensive form in which it spent much of the 2023-24 season. The Eagles have been hyper efficient to begin the year, averaging 53.8 percent shooting, a figure that is 11th nationally. Carson-Newman is 10th in effective field goal perentage at .622. C-N led the country last season in three-point field goal percentage and is north of 40 percent (41.1 to be exact) with two more games under its belt compared to the rest of the country.
Jack Browder is off to a hot start to his junior year. He is third nationally in double-doubles with his two. He is one of just 13 players in the country with multiple double-doubles through the first games of the season. He has been good about getting to the line to start the yaer, ranking fifth in free throw attempts (33) and 10th nationally in makes (24).
The game is an exhibition for JWU.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 6:45 p.m. with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on MIX 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloMBB.
