JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (5-5, 2-2 South Atlantic Conference) looks to close out 2019 in style when it welcomes second-place Mars Hill (5-5, 3-1 South Atlantic Conference) to Holt Fieldhouse for a 7:30 p.m. tip Wednesday night.
The Lions an Eagles split last year's regular season meetings, with Mars Hill prevailing in the game before the holiday break 87-74 in Stanford Arena.
Carson-Newman has alternated wins and losses for the final game of the fall semester dating back to the 2014-15 season when C-N lost 79-51 to close 2014 at Johnson C. Smith.
"I've liked the progression this team has shown throughout this semester," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "To have so many new parts this year has been challenging, yet exciting. Every week that goes by, I feel like we get another layer of facts and information to move on. This is another great chance for us to take another step forward so that we can play our best basketball in February."
The Eagles are looking for back-to-back wins for the third time this season, meanwhile Mars Hill comes into the game off a 94-76 loss at home to Catawba that snapped a three-game winning streak for the Lions. Mars Hill is looking to avoid back-to-back losses for the third time this year.
Ja'Shawn Brooks is still very much the elite scorer that he was a year ago when he led the South Atlantic Conference. Brooks is second in the league at 20.9 points per game. He has topped double digits in every game with a string of four straight 25+-point efforts from Nov. 18-26.
He is sensational at getting to the line. Brooks has another quartet of games where he has taken and made double-digit free throws. Brooks ranks sixth nationally in free throws made (69), 14th in free throws attempted (73) and seventh in free throw percentage (94.5 percent). He has made 21 consecutive free throws.
Brooks and Austin Gilyard are the second highest scoring duo in the South Atlantic Conference. The pair averages 37.9 points per game, second only to Anderson's combo of Quin Nottingham and Shawn Benard, who combines to average 43.5 points per game.
"Brooks and Gilyard are really good guards," Benson said. "They both are big and can shoot threes, attack the rim and post and score. What's better for them is the supporting cast around them. Mars Hill has six guys that are as good as anyone's first six in this league. We need to face these challenges so that we can continue the best team that we can be."
Mars Hill has a sextet of players who average at least nine points per game.
The Lions are exceptional as a team at getting freebies. Mars Hill has shot 275 free throws (seventh nationally) and made 219 (fourth). The Lions 79.6 percent effort at the line is 13th best in the country and second in the SAC. MHU has attempted at least 20 free throws in all but one game this year (Limestone), and shot 30+ in four contests.
Carson-Newman has taken 11 of the last 14 matchups with Mars Hill, however, the Lions have won two of the last three. When the Eagles have won of late against the Lions, it's been in dominant fashion. In Carson-Newman's last 11 wins over MHU, the Eagles have nine double-digit wins.
Carson-Newman is among the nation's elite in rebounding this season. The Eagles have seized at least 40 boards in all but one game this year, and have outrebounded their last five foes by 10.6 boards per game. C-N is second nationally in rebounds per game, averaging 46.5 per contest. The Eagles also pull down 15.5 offensive rebounds per contest, a total that is seventh in the nation.
EJ Bush has been a double-double machine for the Eagles in their first 10 games. Bush leads the South Atlantic Conference with four double-doubles on the year.
Despite a .500 record, the Eagles have the second largest margin of victory on average in the South Atlantic Conference at 8.2 points per game. Four of Carson-Newman's five losses on the year have come by five points or less. In those defeats, C-N has shot 57 percent from the free throw line. Compare that to the Eagles' five wins when Carson-Newman has knocked down 70 percent of its free throws.
Against Coker, Reece Anderson, Richard Henderson and Bryant Thomas all turned in career or season-best performances. Anderson led all scorers with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting. The scoring output is the third time in his career Anderson has topped 20 points. He matched his career high from his junior season at Mars Hill. Anderson stuffed the stat sheet with six boards and seven assists. Thomas more than doubled his previous career night with a 17-point, nine-rebound effort. He flexed his range, going 3-for-6 from deep. Finally, Henderson came within two of his career best for scoring with a 14-point night to reset his season high. The Austin Peay transfer also added in seven boards. He was efficient, going 6-for-8 from the floor.
"We thought Bryant and Richard both had a great deal of upside because of their size, athleticism and skill sets," Benson said. "Every week goes by, they get more comfortable. Against Coker, they both were really comfortable and had career outings as a result. I'm so pleased with what they're turning into the consistency Dima has been showing as well."
Tipoff between the Eagles and Lions is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts 15 minutes prior to gametime with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
