Carson-Newman has never lost to Brevard since Chuck Benson took over the reigns of the program in 2010-11. The Eagles last loss to the Tornados came in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference tournament in 2010 when Brevard won the tournament title and made the NCAA tourney with a 23-win season.
"One thing we've done rather well against them is defended and been able to take away their man offense," Benson said. "We've been able to put them in situations where there not as comfortable, then on the other end, we've been able to get good shots. That's a nice combination to have."
The Tornados continue to be led by Darius Moose. He is third in the SAC in scoring with 17 points per game. He also leads the league in minutes per game (34.5) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (42.5). Moose has eight 20-point games to his name this season. He scored 20 on C-N in the first meeting, a 78-56 Eagle win.
"Moose has gotten better every year he's been there," Benson said. "He's versatile. He can score off the block, from the three and off the dribble. He's going to get his, you've got to make sure the others don't get theres."
After winning five in a six game stretch (the lone loss was to C-N), the Tornados have dropped three of their last four contests. Brevard fell to Queens last time out 92-79. The Tornados are coming off a three-game homestand. In fact, Brevard has played six of their last eight inside the friendly confines of Boshamer Gym.
C-N freshman guard Ryan Jones (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) dished out 10 assists in the previous meeting - it was the first 10 assist game for an Eagle since Bradley Tumer handed out 19 helpers against Newberry in 2011.
Both Charles Clark (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Carson Brooks (Knoxville, Tenn.) are averaging 18 points per game for the Eagles on their recent five-game win streak. Carson-Newman is shooting 52 percent from the field over that span.
The 56 points Carson-Newman scored in its win Saturday over Lenoir-Rhyne represent the fewest points the Eagles have scored in a win during the Chuck Benson era.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Tornados is set for 8 p.m. Wednesday evening. Pregame coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 7:45 p.m. on Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
