JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (7-2, 2-0 South Atlantic Conference) looks to continue an unbeaten start to league play when Mars Hill (2-5, 0-2 SAC) makes the trip down the mountain to take on the Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Holt Fieldhouse.
"All of our guys are happy that the first semester is over academically, and finals are behind us," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "We'll be focusing on correcting the mistakes we made against UVA Wise against a Mars Hill team that really is brand new between having a first-year head coach and a somewhat reconstructed roster."
Carson-Newman's early season success has been predicated on its defense and rebounding. The Eagles lead the league in most defensive categories.
C-N is tops in the SAC in scoring defense (67.6 points per game) and defensive field goal percentage (38.4 percent). Meanwhile, C-N ranks third in defensive three-point field goal percentage (31.1 percent).
The Eagles rebounding has been off the charts good to start 2022. C-N has produced a double-digit rebounding margin in five of its last seven games and has been outrebounded once (by Clayton State). Carson-Newman is 20th nationally and second in the SAC in rebounds. The Eagles are eighth nationally in rebound margin (+10.2).
The Eagles are one of 19 schools shoot better than 50 percent from the field this season. However, the Eagles are one of three schools on that list to rank in the top 60 nationally in offensive rebounding (Nova Southeastern and East Stroudsburg are the others). Carson-Newman is second in the SAC in both field goal percentage and offensive rebounding.
Carson-Newman is aiming for a fifth-straight victory over Mars Hill. Carson-Newman has beaten the Lions by double-digits in each of the previous four wins. Five of those eight halves of basketball, Carson-Newman has shot at least 52 percent from the field, and has three halves where it has made 60 percent or better of its shots.
However, no player who is active on Carson-Newman's roster has scored more than 12 points in a game with Mars Hill.
After starting the season 2-0, Mars Hill has dropped five straight games. The Lions have lost those game by an average 14.8 points. The closest contests were nine-point losses to Tusculum and Claflin. The Lions haven't held a team below 45 percent shooting on the streak, with Claflin and Tusculum both shooting better than 50 percent from the field.
Mars Hill forward Kory Davis is the SAC's second-leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points per game. Davis has scored in double-digits in every game this season for the Lions. He has a trio of 20-point games for the Lions, topping out at 25 in a win against Belmont Abbey. He enters the contest fresh off a 20-point game in a loss against Tusculum. Davis has been great at getting to the stripe, with games against Lees-McRae and the Pioneers where he has knocked down at least 10 free throws.
Mars Hill gets to the free throw line more than anyone else in the South Atlantic Conference. The Lions attempt 23 free throws per game. Carson-Newman ranks third in the league, attempting 22.3 a game. However, Carson-Newman leads the league in makes per game at 17.4. Carson-Newman has outscored teams 157-98 at the free throw line this season, an average of 17-4-10-8 per game.
Bryant Thomas ranks fourth in NCAA Division II among active players in career blocks with 147.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Lions is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 7:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available for a monthly fee through FloSports and cneagles.com/flombb.
