GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Freshman guard Zack Pangallo's (Newport, Ky.) tallied a career-high 19 points and the Carson-Newman Eagles picked up its first 20-point win over rival Tusculum in four seasons with an 86-65 victory Wednesday night at Pioneer Arena.
Pangallo finished five of nine from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Charles Clark (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) finished two shy of his season-high with 25 points that featured 9-for-14 shooting from the field and 7-7 from the charity stripe; the All
"It was just coming out and being confident. Coach has been getting on me about just coming out and playing," Pangallo said of his performance. "I just went out there and played the way I can."
Carson-Newman (7-6, 3-4 South Atlantic Conference) opened the contest on a 6-0 run after baskets from senior forward Carson Brooks (Knoxville, Tenn.), sophomore guard Mason Bates (Cookeville, Tenn.) and junior forward Sawyer Williams (Owenton, Ky.) three minutes into the game.
After two Pangello free throws gave the Eagles their first double digit lead of the evening at 17-7, Carson-Newman embarked on a 23-9 run over the next six minutes for the largest lead of the first half at 40-16. During that span, sophomore guard Clark scored all 11 of his first half points; five other Eagles scored during the stretch.
Tusculum (6-5, 2-4 SAC) responded with a quick 7-0 run to cut the lead to 17 that was capped by a Javon Price jumper with 2:36 remaining in the first stanza.
Carson-Newman scored the final four points of the first half to lead 48-25 after 20 minutes. C-N shot 71 percent from the field in the half by making 20 of 28 attempts; it was the second time this season the Eagles shot over 70 percent from the field after accomplishing the feat against Lenoir-Rhyne at Holt Fieldhouse.
Seven minutes into the second half, the Eagles went on a 5-0 run to give Carson-Newman its largest lead of the contest with a 26-point advantage at 63-37.
Tusculum trailed by less than 20 points for just over two minutes during the second half. A late jumper by the Pioneers' Ben Arnold set the final score at 86-65.
Brooks tallied his 11th-career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Senior forward Josh Rogers tallied 11 points and pulled down six boards.
Darius Carter, who registered 24 points, led the Pioneers with a 7 of 19 shooting total; Carter scored his 1,000th-career point with a basket in the first half. Chase Mounce added 12 points and Matt Shown rained in 10 in a losing effort.
"It's real good. It shows everybody can play and everybody can give more than expected," Clark said of Pangallo's effort. "We've got nine really solid players tha play on the floor and can play really well."
Carson-Newman finished the contest with a 57 percent shooting mark after shooting a shade over 43 percent in the second half. The Eagles finished 15-for-17 from the free throw line but handed out a season-low seven assists. Forty-four of C-N's 86 points came in the paint and the Eagles scored 15 points off 10 Tusculum turnovers. Carson-Newman scored 26 points off the bench.
The Pioneers finished the contest shooting at a 34 percent mark after making 41 percent of their attempts in the second stanza. The Eagles held Tusculum to 4 of 22 from behind the three-point line.
C-N outrebounded Tusculum 38 to 37. The Pioneers dished out 10 assists and scored a season-low four points off turnovers.
"I thought right out our defensive intensity and effort set a tone. Our guys were very aggressive; they were kind of flying around. It sort of triggered something," coach Chuck Benson said. "We've been playing efficient basketball but that is the third game in a row we kept our turnovers down, which I'm liking. I think our guys, for whatever reason, decided to put two sides of the ball together and this was the outcome."
The Eagles next contest will be on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Cuddy Arena as Carson-Newman faces the Wingate Bulldogs. Broadcast coverage begins at 3:45 p.m. with the Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off on the Eagles Sports Netswork as The Voice of the Eagles Adam Cavalier will have the call.
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