December 1, 2021

Eagles battle Bears on Domino’s Student Appreciation Night

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For a third straight game in the series, Carson-Newman (3-3, 2-1 South Atlantic Conference) matches wits with Lenoir-Rhyne (3-3, 2-1 SAC) in Holt Fieldhouse. The home contest tips at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Lenoir-Rhyne

3-4 (2-2 SAC)

Carson-Newman

4-3 (2-2 SAC)

Final

Lenoir-Rhyne 3-4 (2-2 SAC)

Carson-Newman 4-3 (2-2 SAC)

VIDEO: Carson-Newman v. Wingate Cinematic Highlights

VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview

C-N Game Notes

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For a third straight game in the series, Carson-Newman (3-3, 2-1 South Atlantic Conference) matches wits with Lenoir-Rhyne (3-3, 2-1 SAC) in Holt Fieldhouse. The home contest tips at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Eagles are looking for a third straight home win over the Bears and a ninth win at Holt over L-R in the team's last 10 meetings.

The contest is Domino's Student Appreciation Night. The pizza chain will be providing 100 free pies to Carson-Newman students during the men's and women's hoops doubleheader. Free Christmas t-shirts will also be given away to C-N students at the games.

"To have a chance to have our students come out en masse and really rally," head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "We're very appreciative of Domino's for stepping up and helping us to have a big crowd. Obviously with the CoVID situation last year and not having fans, it's a big deal for our guys to get to play in front of a crowd."

The game features two of the more productive thieves in the South Atlantic Conference. Jalen Johnson leads the SAC with 2.50 steals per game while Tripp Davis is second in the league with 2.00 swipes per contest. Davis has three steals in four of C-N's six games. Johnson had multiple steals in Lenoir-Rhyne first five games, including a four-steal contest against Young Harris before coming up empty in L-R's 70-54 loss at Limestone.

"Johnson is an elite defender and an elite catalyst in that he creates offense for others," Benson said. "Obviously he can score it himself. He is a tough kid. He went out with an injury against Limestone. Jalen with two good legs is a problem. Jalen Johnson with one good leg is still a major problem. He'll need to be a primary focal point for our defense."

The Bears lost 80 percent of their scoring from last year's team with the departures of RJ Gunn, Darius Simmons, Zim Fields and Mason Hawks, et al. The Bears don't have a player back who scored against Carson-Newman in last year's 73-54 C-N win.

"The guys there last year historically created problems for us," Benson said. "We know no matter who is on that roster that they are going to be talented, and really sound offensively and defensively. I know Coach Sullivan does a great job and that he'll have his team locked in and ready to go."

Lenoir-Rhyne just doesn't foul. The Bears have only been whistled for 12.8 fouls per game, the fewest in the SAC and the 13th-best total nationally.

Rebounding has been an issue for the Bears. The Bears have been outrebounded in every game this season by at least four. Both Lees-McRae and Coker had a double-digit rebounding edge on L-R. The Bears are -7.8 per game on the glass this season, that is last in the SAC and 15th from the bottom nationally.

Carson-Newman was +19, 51-32, on the boards the last time the teams got together.

Tripp Davis sits 28 points away from the 1,000th in his playing career. He scored 254 points in his career at Tennessee State. Davis has added in 718 points for Carson-Newman. He needs 282 more points to become the Carson-Newman men's basketball program's 39th all-time 1,000-point scorer.

"He keeps on finding ways to enhance his overall game," Benson said. "He should get to that milestone soon. Hopefully he can do the same here strictly as a Carson-Newman Eagle. What he does for our team is so much more than that. He's such a great representative for our campus and our community."

Bryant Thomas comes into the contest with 80 career blocks, 20 away from becoming Carson-Newman's second triple-digit block performer for a career. He currently sits sixth all-time. Three more and he'll tie Colin Martin for fifth all-time.

Thomas is once again among the best in the nation at rejecting shots. He is fifth nationally with 14 blocks and 18th in the country with 2.33 re-directs per game.

If Carson-Newman dishes out 20 assists against Lenoir-Rhyne, it will mark just the second time in Chuck Benson's tenure as head coach that the Eagles have doled out 20 assists in four straight games.

Tipoff between the Eagles and Bears is set for 7:30 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 7:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.