JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the first time in eight years, Carson-Newman (1-3) will match wits with an old NAIA District 24 foe when Trevecca Nazarene (3-1) arrives in Holt Fieldhouse for a 5:30 p.m. tip Tuesday.
Carson-Newman matches wits with Trevecca Nazarene for the first time since Nov. 16, 2013. The Eagles jumped out to a 24-point lead three minutes into the second half. The Trojans were able to whittle the lead down to as little as 10, but the Eagles maintained the double digit lead for the entirety of the second half. Antoine Davis and Ish Sanders plopped in 24 and 20 points respectively.
C-N leads the all-time series 7-2. Carson-Newman is 2-0 against TNU since becoming an NCAA Division II school in 1993.
Trevecca has nearly matched its win total from a year ago. TNU is off to a 3-1 start after a 5-17 campaign a year ago. TNU was picked eighth in the 11-team GMAC and nearly knocked off Ole Miss in an 83-76 exhibition loss early this season.
"Trevecca has started out the season hot," head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "You have to respect a team that almost beats Ole Miss in an exhibition game. We're dealing with a team that is very confident and has proven scoring. We will have our hands full."
CJ Penha has been one of the most dynamic players in the country for Trevecca. The 6-7 post has scored in double-digits in every game the Trojans have played with the exception of a nine-point effort in a win over Birmingham Southern. He scored 30 in a loss to Southwest Baptist and has been on the plus side of 24 five times when you include TNU's exhibitions. He leads TNU with 22.5 points per game on 50 percent shooting.
"We know what we need to do to impact Penha's performance because of playing Tusculum and Queens' strong interior play," Benson said. "At the same time, we know what we need to do to demonstrate our own confidence on both sides of the ball."
Additionally, Penha has gobbled up rebounds, averaging 9.8 a night. He comes into the contest after a 17-rebound game against Shorter.
Complimenting Penha is Liberty transfer Josh Price, the son of NBA legend Mark Price. Price averages 16 points per game. He had 10 points alone in overtime to pace the Trojans past Birmingham Southern on Nov. 17 92-83. Price finished with 24 points in that contest.
This is Trevecca's first road game. TNU was 3-10 away from home last year, however, the Trojans did split their last four games away from Nashville.
C-N has been hyper-effective at knocking down threes to open up this season. Carson-Newman is tied with Ferris State at the top of the Division II rankings - knocking down 50 percent of its threes through four games. The Eagles are selective about their long-distance dedications. Carson-Newman makes nine threes per game, a figure that is square in the middle of the pack in the SAC and 81st nationally.
"It's been interesting because if you look at our three losses, each has had its own little plot that led to our demise," Benson said. "I really think, as crazy as it sounds, our defense isn't as broken as our record would indicate. We don't focus much on outcomes (wins and losses). I look at it and there are specific things I can pin point that over time will go our favor as we play. We're at an unusual point in the season because of how challenging a schedule we have played."
Bryant Thomas has returned to his form as one of the country's best shot blockers. Thomas has re-directed 11 on the year to rank fourth in the country. His 2.75 blocked shots per game are 12th in the country. Thomas leads the SAC in both categories while Carson-Newman is the SAC's top shot-blocking team. The Eagles are 27th nationally as a team with 4.8 rejections per game.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Trojans is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 5:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff at cneagles.com/live.
