HARROGATE, Tenn. – A 33-15 second half run by Carson-Newman was not enough as the Eagles (2-3, 0-1 SAC) fell 98-82 to the 17th-ranked Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters Tuesday night in Tex Turner Arena in each teams' South Atlantic Conference lid-lifter.
Junior Sawyer Williams (Owenton, Ky.) tallied 37 points and 12 for his fifth-career double-double. Williams became the highest scoring Eagle since Antoine Davis dropped 36 against the Queens (N.C.) Royals on Dec. 18th, 2012.
The LMU win pushed the series record to 100-100 as the Railsplitters won the series' 200th-meeting.
"Incredible shooting by them in the first half and we struggled to make shots. They came out with a scheme and again, I liked our preparation, but I thought they had a better sense of urgency and a greater determination than we had," coach Chuck Benson said. "I think our guys, mentally and emotionally, were ready for this game, but you have to give the credit to them. To make shots like they were making and when we don't make shots, it can happen."
After the teams traded baskets early in the first half, LMU (3-1, 1-0 SAC) went on a 12-0 run spurred by back-to-back three-pointers by Jalen Steele to put the Railsplitters ahead 19-5 with 14:36 left in the first.
Carson-Newman cut the Lincoln Memorial lead to eight at 19-11 with a 13:51 left in the half with a jumper from junior forward Sawyer Williams (Owenton, Ky.), but the 'Splitters went on another run. LMU rallied off seven straight points in two minutes to go back ahead 26-11.
Senior forward Carson Brooks (Knoxville, Tenn.) slammed home a tomahawk dunk for his first basket of the evening midway through the first half. After Brooks's dunk, Lincoln Memorial countered with a 9-0 run capped by a Curtis Mcmillion lay-up to push the Railsplitters' advantage to 39-15 with 6:04 left in the first stanza.
At the half, Carson-Newman trailed 49-26. After falling behind by 23 with 15:59, the Eagles embarked on a 17-5 run that spanned four minutes cut the C-N deficit to 67-54 that two Zack Pangallo (Newport, Ky.) three-pointers. Carson-Newman's run continued until the 8:03 mark when Williams scored on a tip-in to cut the LMU lead to 73-63.
Lincoln Memorial finished the contest on a 25-9 run over the final eight minutes to run away with the final score as the Railsplitters won the contest 98-82. Senior Gerel Simmons led LMU with 24 second-half points.
Carson-Newman had five players end in double figures. Williams led with 37 points; sophomore Charles Clark (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) added 12, Brooks poured in 11, Pangallo chipped in 12 and senior Josh Rogers (Bristol, United Kingdom) scored 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Simmons led LMU with 37 points and Steele added 19.
Brooks nailed a 17-foot jumper with 5:42 left in the game to help the senior eclipse the 1,000-point plateau during his career in the Orange and Blue. At the end of the contest, the Knoxville, Tenn.-native has 1,005 career points.
"They're primary focus was Carson and Charles and they were putting him in a one-on-one situations," Benson said of Williams's career night. "In one-on-one situations, he capitalized. That's the sort of the simplistic way to look at it. Had he been doubled, it would have slowed down his production."
Carson-Newman will have eight days off for the Thanksgiving break and will return to the hardwood on Dec. 2nd when the Clayton State Lakers come to Holt Fieldhouse for a 7 p.m. tip.
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