VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the third time this season, an opposing team carved out Carson-Newman's (14-8, 11-7 South Atlantic Conference) heart by hitting a shot in the final 10 seconds of a game.
Tusculum's (13-6, 13-4 SAC) Jalen Crowder canned a 30-foot three from outside the 10-foot line on the volleyball court with 3.0 seconds left to complete a comeback for Tusculum and give the Pioneers a 68-67 win Wednesday night in a packed Holt Fieldhouse.
"Congrats go to Tusculum," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "It's a two-point game and he hit what was an NBA-plus, plus range three. Credit Crowder for making that shot. I hate it for our people that were here. I thought we played pretty good basketball for most of this game, the kid just made an incredible shot when it had to be made, and they get a big win as a result."
The shot spoiled an electric atmosphere that featured a 1,400-person crowd in Holt – the first four-digit crowd since the pandemic began – and a student section that was filled to the brim.
"I want to say thank you," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "We put out a request for people to come out tonight. Our campus and the community came out tonight and it was electric. I can't say thank you enough to the students and our coaches for allowing that to happen. It really created an enjoyable atmosphere, and if you were here in this gym tonight, I think you had a good time."
Crowder's shot belied a Tusculum rally. The Pioneers trailed by 15 early in the second half and by 10 with eight minutes to go. However, the Eagles only made three of their final 15 shots to leave the door open for a Tusculum team that shot 65.2 percent from the field in the second half but also turned it over 18 times.
However, the Pioneers closed the game on a 16-4 run. The loss is Carson-Newman's first when leading with less than five minutes to play since Feb. 1, 2020 when Anderson's Quin Nottingham nailed a 75-foot shot at the horn to power a remarkable Trojans comeback. The Eagles fall to 148-6 in the last 10 years when leading at the five-minute mark in the second half.
"We were struggling to get action, and some of that goes back to what they were doing blending their defenses up," Benson said. "The first half, I think we handled that better. Even with that, I thought we got some good looks that didn't fall. All you have to do is look that we led for 38:02. They led for 1:23, but a crucial three seconds. We had a level of control in this game for 30 minutes, but they were able to capitalize on that last possession."
The loss snapped a nine-game home winning streak and handed Tusculum a sweep of the season series for the first time since 2018-19. The Eagles' last two home losses (Queens on Nov. 20) have come on a three in the last three seconds of the game. Coupled with Destin Clark getting a goal-tending call at Wingate, Carson-Newman has lost a lead in the final 10 seconds of three games this season.
In spite of the final five minutes, C-N looked to be on sound footing when Bryant Thomas (Charlotte, N.C.) stripped reigning SAC Player of the Year Trenton Gibson and rolled 75-feet the other way for a two-handed jam to put the Eagles up three with 45 seconds left.
Carson-Newman forced a turnover and got fouled on the ensuring possession, but only made 1-of-2 free throws. That set the stage for Crowder's first three, a corner snipe that made it a one-point game with 15 seconds left.
"We had the ball with nine seconds up one," Benson said. "Tripp attacked the rim and I thought it was a pretty aggressive foul. I trust the official's judgement that it wasn't flagrant. We go 1-of-2 at the line and the door is open. We have to live and learn through a difficult pill to swallow."
In place of the fouled Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.), Nick Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) missed the first, but canned the second to set the stage for Crowder's theatrics.
Crowder led all scorers with 17 points off the bench. He was 5-of-8 from deep. Gibson had 14 points to go with six boards, six assists and nine turnovers – the most ever in a game by a C-N opponent.
Brandon Mitchell and Justin Mitchell rounded out Tusculum's double-digit scorers with 12 and 10, respectively.
EJ Bush (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) paced Carson-Newman with 16 points and eight boards. Davis added in 13 points, five assists and three steals, while the elder Brenegan brother had 12 points, seven assists and three steals.
C-N shot 44.3 percent from the field, while Tusculum finished at 48.5 percent thanks to a torrid second half.
The Eagles forced 18 turnovers and converted them to 18 points to make up for Tusculum's hot shooting.
C-N hits the road Saturday for a matchup with a top-20 Queens team. Tipoff from Charlotte is slated for 4 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
