VIDEO: Chuck Benson previews Queens
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (9-16, 6-13 South Atlantic Conference) hits the road for the second-to-last time this regular season for a 4 p.m. tip at Queens (19-6, 14-5 SAC) Saturday afternoon at Curry Arena.
Carson-Newman is looking to put a stop to an 11-game losing streak to Queens. The Eagles haven't beaten the Royals since spoiling Queens senior day on Feb, 23, 2015 with an 87-62 win over the Royals. The Royals have rolled up five double-digit triumphs in the last eight meetings. The Eagles have also been within a possession of Queens in three of the losses.
The contest will be Queens' Senior Day. It will mark the second-to-last home game for Queens guard Daniel Carr, who has been a thorn in the Eagles' side for the last four years.
With two Elite Eight's under his belt, Queens guard Daniel Carr is one of the most decorated and experienced guards in the South Atlantic Conference. He leads the Royals with 17.7 points per game. Carr has scored in double-digits in every game this season with the exception of a four-point win at Anderson when he went 0-4 from the field and was limited to seven points, all on free throws, and a three-point game in a 100-68 win at UVaWise.
"Obviously, I will always love my Eagles," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "But, if I could have an adopted Eagle, it'd be Daniel Carr. He is the ultimate competitor and leader. It seems like he's about all the right stuff. He just wins. It's been our pleasure to compete against him over the last four years."
Carr averaged 13 points per game across three meetings last season with Carson-Newman. He had a double-double in the team's regular season meeting in Curry Arena with 15 points and 11 boards. He stuffed the stat sheet in Holt Fieldhouse earlier this season with 18 points, five boards, four assists and four steals.
Carson-Newman's defense has picked up since switching to a zone defense on Feb. 1 against Anderson. While the Eagles are 2-4 in that span, they've limited their last six foes to 75 points or less. Since the switch, Eagle opponents are averaging 68.3 points per game, while shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three. All of those totals are well below the Eagles' season averages.
Kaleb Wallace has started to come into his own over the last four games He enters the contest at Queens two-games removed from a career-high 17 against Catawba. Wallace has led C-N in scoring in back-to-back games. During the stretch, Wallace is averaging 13.75 points per game on 52 percent shooting from the field and 52.9 percent shooting from three (9-of-17). He scored double digits in four straight games and five of the last seven.
"Kaleb is coming into his own," Benson said. "The more he gets to play, the more he gets to perform, the more his confidence will grow. He is one of several young guys in this program who give me a lot of satisfaction and encouragement for our future."
Queens has won five straight games, the second-longest active win streak in the South Atlantic Conference after the Royals put a halt to Catawba's seven-game streak in the last contest. Queens hasn't lost since dropping a 103-80 decision at home to Lincoln Memorial. That was one of three consecutive losses for the Royals before finding their footing with this three-game winning streak.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Royals is set for 4 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
