JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (6-10, 3-7 South Atlantic Conference) will look to put a bow on the first half of league play when UVa-Wise (5-10, 4-9 SAC) pays a visit to Holt Fieldhouse for a 7:30 p.m. tip Wednesday.
The contest features some deep in roads between the Eagles and Cavs.
UVA-Wise head coach Blake Mellinger should ring a bell to Carson-Newman fans. Mellinger is no stranger to teaching the game of basketball as his father and grandfather were both coaches, making him a third generation coach in the Mellinger family. Blake's grandfather, Arnold, is the only men's basketball player to have his jersey retired at C-N. The elder Mellinger competed for the Eagles from 1954-57 and scored 1,826 career points, ranking seventh all-time in Carson-Newman history.
"It's always a cool storyline when we play UVa-Wise and get to see Blake Mellinger," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "Unfortunately Arnold passed away a couple years ago. His widow Temple is still with us and she's amazing. She's very much biased toward her grandson, but she's a Carson-Newman alum. She always reaches out a couple times a year to offer encouragement."
The Highland Cavaliers have been beset by injuries this year to the point where Cavalier linebacker Buster Henderson joined the program in the last week to provide added depth. He played in the Cavs loss to Coker Saturday. Against Carson-Newman on the gridiron, he had 10 tackles and ran the ball once for four yards.
"Despite the adversity they've faced, they have continued to be competitive and have fought through their reality," Benson said. "They have a chance on any night to beat anyone. We know that we have to have our A-game to have a chance."
UVA-Wise though has not lost its top offensive threat. That's Cameron Whiteside. He is one of four players in the SAC averaging more than 20 points per game. Whiteside checks in at 20.1 points per game.
"Because of his body type, he puts you in the mind of LMU's Courvoisier McCauley because he's such a big guard," Benson said. "He can shoot the three with range off the catch and off the bounce. He's got a quick first step and has a variety of finishes at the rim. He's really come into his own as a sophomore."
Whiteside averages a league-best 22.6 points per game in SAC games only. He's dropped 20 in three straight games and had 35 and 37 in back-to-back contests against Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne, respectively.
The Cavs are looking to snap a five-game losing streak. After a 4-3 start, UVa-Wise has won just once in its last nine (an 86-59 win over Ohio U. Chillicothe). UVA-Wise is 0-5 away from home this season. Since returning to the floor in 2020, the Cavs are only averaging 68 points per game on 38.6 percent shooting.
Carson-Newman mentor Chuck Benson will be coaching for his 300th career win Saturday. Benson is looking to become the third active coach in the SAC with 300 career victories and the sixth overall. Josh Schertz of Lincoln Memorial and Bart Lundy of Queens are the only other active coaches in the league with 300 career triumphs. Lenoir-Rhyne's John Lentz, Carson-Newman's Dale Clayton and Presbyterian's Gregg Nibert all have 300 career wins.
Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) has turned in a sensational five-game stretch for the Eagles to end 2019 and start 2020. Davis averaged 23.8 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from three in that span from Dec. 18-Jan. 15. Davis is only the second player since the year 2000 with five straight 20-point efforts. Charles Clark is the only other Eagle to accomplish that feat.
Carson-Newman had scored 80 points or more in all but two of its first 13 games of the season. However, the high-octane Eagles have been limited to no more than 72 points in their last three contests (C-N is 1-2 in that stretch with a 72-68 win over Tusculum, the team that ranks last in the SAC in pace of play). The Eagles enter the matchup with Wise off a season-low 63-point game in a loss at Newberry.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Cavs is slated 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.
