JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – When senior guard Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) next puts the ball through the basket, he will become Carson-Newman's (10-7, 4-3 South Atlantic Conference) 40th all-time 1,000-point scorer.
Brenegan will aim for that milestone Wednesday night when Carson-Newman takes on Limestone (6-9, 2-5 SAC) at 7:30 p.m. in Holt Fieldhouse.
"I'm always happy when guys achieve individual marks," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "To be a 1,000-point scorer is a massive achievement. I think he would tell you that much more than that, what he's most proud of is the success that he and his teammates have shared."
Brenegan has been scoreless just once in the last three years (earlier this season against Columbus State).
Chuck Benson has been responsible for coaching a quarter of that list (nine). Included are Antoine Davis (1,526 - 12th), Ish Sanders (1,922 - 6th), Carson Brooks (1,248 - 29th), Sawyer Williams (1,559 - 11th), Charles Clark (2,339 - 3rd), Mason Bates (1,106 - 33rd), Malik Abraham (1,088 - 34th), Tripp Davis (1,039 - 36th) and EJ Bush (1,006 - 39th).
Carson-Newman is trying to put a halt to a five-game losing streak, the longest losing streak C-N has suffered through in 13 years. Carson-Newman hasn't dropped six consecutive games since closing the 2008-09 season with nine consecutive losses from Jan. 24, 2009 - Feb. 25, 2009. That streak reached 10 games with a loss to Alabama Huntsville to start the 2009 season before snapping the skid with an 85-67 win over Concord.
Carson-Newman's shooting percentages have also been way off in losses. In wins, the Eagles are shooting a crispy 52.4 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from three while averaging 91.5 points per game. In losses, those numbers drop to 41.1 percent from the field, 29.3 percent from three and 66.4 points per game.
Carson-Newman is angling for the first sweep of a conference series with the Saints. All but one of Carson-Newman's six wins in the series have been by double-digits. The last four meetings between Carson-Newman and Limestone in Holt Fieldhouse have gone C-N's way by an average 24.5 points per game.
"The only thing about that game is that it is a very pleasant memory," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "And I am very much living for pleasant memories right now. That's in the past though. We're different now from where we were then. We have to do what's best for us right now. I like our guys approach working to get better and being specific about our preparation."
Bryant Thomas is the ultimate shot-stopper. Carson-Newman's single-game, single-season and career record-holder for blocks now sits on 164. He has the fourth most blocked shots among active players in NCAA Division II. Thomas leads the league this season with 2.1 rejections per game and is top 10 in the country in blocks per game in that regard.
Limestone head coach Kyle Perry is a familiar face. Perry helped Carson-Newman to a South Atlantic Conference championship in his first season as an assistant during the 2002-03 season. He was Dale Clayton's associate head coach in his fourth and final year on the banks of Mossy Creek. Perry is 1-3 coaching against his old school, with the lone win coming inside the Timken Center in Gaffney.
Carson-Newman returns home Wednesday to take on Limestone at 7:30 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 7:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
