VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
GAFFNEY, S.C. – For the first time all season, an opponent shot better than 45 percent from the field. Limestone (5-6, 4-5 South Atlantic Conference) converted on 53 percent of its shots and 40 percent of its threes to hold on 73-71 over Carson-Newman (7-5, 5-4 SAC) Saturday afternoon at the Timken Center.
Carson-Newman had been riding a five-game streak of limiting opponents under 40 percent shooting – tied for the longest stretch in school history. The Saints became the first team to hit better than 50 percent of its shots against Carson-Newman since Feb. 13, 2021 when Catawba knocked down 52.7 percent of its shots in an 87-74 loss to Carson-Newman.
The Eagles were without three starters for much of the second half with injuries to Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) and Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.), as well as Ren Dyer (Weaverville, N.C.) fouling out.
"We faced our fair share of adversity today," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "What's really frustrating is that we still did things well. We rebounded the ball well and started strong. We have struggled to sustain, especially offensively. We can't score. I don't understand it because it's the same people doing the same things and we are getting good shots that we are just missing. We can defend all we want, and I think we are a great defensive team, but we have to figure out how to take those stops and generate points."
For a second straight road game, Carson-Newman lost a double-digit lead.
The tide turned early for C-N. Carsoun-Newman bounded out to an early 21-9 lead after Bryant Thomas (Charlotte, N.C.) banked in a three with 9:30 to play in the half. However, Carson-Newman wouldn't score again for the next 5:42 while Limestone used a 22-8 run to close the half and take a 31-29 lead into the halftime lockerroom.
"That drought was huge," Benson said. "Philosophically, I think all games are won in the second half. However, tones are set in the first half. I thought we had them in a questioning position and we went through that dry spell that changed momentum. Literally in all three of our road losses, they're eerily similar. Start strong, create and big lead and then the other team chips away. I don't think our guys dropped heads tonight, but that run of being unable to make shots made a big difference tonight."
The teams swapped leads 10 times and were tied four times in what ended up as a back-and-forth affair. Carson-Newman retook the lead with 7:49 to play on a Thomas and-one lay-in. However, the Saints answered with a 7-0 run to take a 59-54 lead. Three minutes later, the Saints would stretch it to seven on an Isayah Owens jumper with 4:29 to play. That would be the last shot the Saints would make. However, Limestone knocked down 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to do enough to keep C-N at bay.
John Zhao (Sevierville, Tenn.) banked in a three with seven seconds left to pull C-N within one. Owens made 1-of-2 free throws after the Eagles fouled. He missed the second. EJ Bush (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) grabbed the rebound and drove the length of the floor and got a look from eight feet out on the left baseline. However, Bush's leaner bounced long and C-N couldn't get up a second-chance look in time, cementing the Saints win.
Four Eagles finished in double figures, paced by Thomas' 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. He was 6-of-9 from the floor. Bush added in a season-high 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Brenegan and Davis had 11 and 10, respectively in injury-shortened minutes.
Limestone's Ben Gahlert led all scorers with 20 points. Ayo Dada added in 17 while Richard Nunez chased a triple-double with 12 points, six boards and seven assists.
Limestone knocked down 63.6 percent of its shots after halftime and 6-of-11 threes. Carson-Newman wasn't too shabby after halftime, hitting 55.2 percent of its shots and 44 percent of its threes, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Saints' torrid shooting.
Carson-Newman outrebounded the Saints 34-24 and had 38 points in the paint to the Saints' 30.
The Eagles break for 13 days before starting 2022 with Erskine in Holt Fieldhouse at 2 p.m. on New Years Day. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 1:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
