VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
VIDEO: Luke Brenegan Interview
VIDEO: Nick Brenegan Interview
WINGATE, N.C. – Carson-Newman (12-14, 6-10 South Atlantic Conference) got a combined 77 points from the triumvirate of Bryant Thomas (Charlotte, N.C.), Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) and Nick Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) and rolled to an 87-68 win over Wingate (15-11, 10-7 SAC) Saturday in Cuddy Arena.
The Eagles' threesome outscored Wingate by themselves. Thomas netted a career high 31, while the Brenegan brothers each had 23.
The win was a jovial celebration for head coach Chuck Benson, who reveled in the victory on his 54th birthday.
"I saw a complete 40 minutes, and secondarily, I saw a resilience," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "Brian Good's teams are always tough and this is a tough place to play, tougher to play here on senior day. We took punches tonight. I saw a great overall defensive performance and us reward ourselves with offensive transition opportunities. However, most importantly, I saw a bunch of guy's enjoying playing together and having fun."
The 19-point win is Carson-Newman's second-largest margin of victory over the Bulldogs in the series 74-game history.
The Eagles' efforts were keyed by off-the-charts shot-making. Carson-Newman converted on 57.6 percent of its shots and went 13-of-25 from three. That mark includes a scorching second-half where Carson-Newman knocked down 63.3 percent of its shots and 64.3 percent of its threes. C-N buried 9-of-14 three-point attempts after halftime.
Carson-Newman had 19 assists on 34 made baskets.
"We had so many multiple next pass scenarios," Benson said. "Our values were on full display today when it came to offensive execution. We had guys sharing it. We had guys pass up on good shots to share it so we could get great shots."
Ren Dyer (Weaverville, N.C.) and the young Brenegan bro, Nick led C_N with four assists. However, five players, handed out multiple assists.
"For all the insanity of what BT and the Brenegans did," Benson said. "I thought Ren Dyer played one of the best games he's played all year long. He shared the ball so well and held us together like super glue. Same true for Tyler Bowens. Everybody added value. I saw so many good things in the shadow of what has been a very challenging second semester. Today, for it being the last regular season road game of the year, this was the way it needed to go and I needed to see them look like what I remember them being."
Thomas and the Brenegans became the first Eagle trio to all score 20 points since March 1, 2017 when Charles Clark (32), Mason Bates (26) and Shaun Jones (21) combined for 79 in a SAC quarterfinal win over Newberry.
The triumvirate of @bsmoothxx, @breneganluke and Nick Brenegan outscored Wingate by themselves.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) February 19, 2023
That threesome went for 77. Wingate scored 67. @cn_hoops gets back in the win column in a big way. pic.twitter.com/oR6hXRWBup
Thomas reset his career high with the 31-point night. He was 15-of-20 from the floor. Thomas' 15-made shots are tied for the eighth-most in a single game in school history. He also added in 10 rebounds for his 13th career double-double and had three blocks.
Both Brenegan brothers logged career nights.
For Luke, he buried seven threes for the first time in his career. He finished with 23 on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 7-of-10 mark from deep. Meanwhile, Nick reset his career high for points with 23. He was 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from three. The younger Brenegan brother played turnover free.
"Obviously, Luke and BT being seniors, I'm so gratified to see this performance for them," Benson said. "With Nick, I've made a big deal about brothers getting to play together. I want them to treasure these moments getting to see them play together."
After four straight games with 18 turnovers, the Eagles only coughed it up 11 times. C-N outscored the Bulldogs 17-14 in points off turnovers after losing that scoring battle in five straight games.
"We took better care of it," Benson said. "That obviously, along with the defense and the shot making, all those together make for an enjoyable day."
C-N broke open a tight game midway through the second half. Luke and Nick Brenegan alternated hitting five straight threes to put C-N on a 15-2 run before Thomas finished the spurt with a putback jam and a turnaround J. When the dust settled, Carson-Newman had itself a 19-5 burst that turned a two-point lead into a 16-point, 69-53 edge with 7:05 to go in the game.
Carson-Newman wouldn't relinquish the double-digit lead the rest of the night.
C-N limited Wingate to 44.3 percent shooting. The 'Dogs were 6-of-20 from deep.
Sasha Letino led Wingate with 16 points. Jarren Cottingham and Destin Clark each had 15. Andreas Wilson rounded out the Bulldogs double-digit scorers with 11.
Carson-Newman returns home Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tip with Emory & Henry. 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.
