JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman guard Jordan Dixon
(Clinton, Tenn.) poured in a game-high 25 points as the Eagles beat
rival Lincoln Memorial, 78-75, in Holt Fieldhouse on Saturday
evening.
With the win, Carson-Newman improves to 10-15 overall and 5-9 in
South Atlantic Conference play, while LMU falls to 19-7 and 9-6 in
SAC play.
C-N survived a wild closing sequence to hang on for the win. The
game saw five ties and 18 lead changes, including eight in the
final 5:34, as the Eagles broke a five-game losing streak.
After a pair of free throws by Tray Okoth (Richmon, Va.) gave the
Eagles a 73-70 lead with 2:39 to play, LMU answered with
five-straight points to take a 75-73 lead with a minute to play.
Tony Martin (Cincinnati, Ohio) knocked down a pair of free throws
and sophomore Cameron Carden (Clearwater, Fla.) knocked down his
fourth three-pointer of the night to give the Railsplitters the
lead in the final minute.
C-N’s Cameron Sharp (Knoxville, Tenn.) answered with a deep
three-pointer with the shot clock winding gave the Eagles a 76-75
lead with 26 seconds to play.
LMU would get two shots at the bucket down by one, but a Carden
three and a Brandon Armstrong jumper both missed the mark.
After a pair of Dixon free throws pushed the C-N lead to three with
two seconds to play, sophomore Desmond Johnson (Lynch, Ky.) found
Carden open for a game-tying three as time expired, but the shot
failed to find the mark.
The final minutes of the game were a reflection of the entire 40
minutes. Neither team led by more than seven points.
LMU led 57-52 with 9:52 to play in the game, but six Eagles would
score down the stretch, including two three-pointers by Sharp, as
C-N battled back.
Sharp’s first three during the stretch gave C-N a 61-60 lead
at the 7:46 mark, and sent the game into a back-and-forth battle
for the final eight minutes.
Dixon finished 7-of-14 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from behind
the arc, for his 25 points. He also had five rebounds. Sharp closed
his night 5-of-10 from the floor, 3-of-6 from long range, for his
18.
Sophomore Desmond Johnson (Lynch, Ky.) led the Railsplitters with
19 points behind 8-of-14 shooting. Carden added 14 including 4-of-8
from three-point range.
Carson-Newman returns to action on Wednesday night against Catawba.
Tipoff is at 8 p.m. in Salisbury, N.C. LMU will travel to Newberry
next Saturday for its regular-season finale.
-C-N-