JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (9-2, 2-1 South Atlantic Conference) brings the hottest shooting offense in the SAC to Tex Turner Arena where the league's top field-goal percentage defense awaits in the form of No. 22 Lincoln Memorial (8-4, 2-1 SAC).
Tipoff between the two storied rivals is slated for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"We have to think about us, first and foremost," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "That starts with applying lessons learned from the game with Belmont Abbey. Clearly LMU is elite and sensational. I am excited for us to play that level of competition this early in the semester."
Carson-Newman is averaging 51.9 percent shooting from the field. The Eagles go up against LMU's defense, which limits foes to a league-best 41.6 percent mark from the field.
Carson-Newman is searching for its first win in Harrogate since Feb, 4, 2015 when Charles Clark, the SAC's all-time leading scorer, had his breakout game as a freshman with a 36-point night over the then-No. 1 ranked Railsplitters. Carson-Newman won by 15. The Eagles have dropped eight consecutive decisions to LMU at Tex Turner Arena.
Nick Brenegan has scored in double digits in 16 consecutive games. He is the only Eagle with a double-digit scoring effort in every game this year for C-N. Brenegan is averaging 17.2 points per game in his 22 career starts.
Brenegan's 4.7 made triples per game are the most in the country. He has buried 50 this season. also first nationally by pure volume. If he were to maintain this pace, he would break Ish Sanders' single-season record of 99 and become the first Eagle with triple-digit threes in a seaosn. There have been 11 triple-digit three-point seasons in SAC history. He also ranks fifth nationally and tops in the SAC in percentage at 50.0 percent for the season.
Brenegan has buried multiple threes in every game this season. He's made a three in 17 straight games dating back to last season. He has made at least three threes in seven straight games.
Carson-Newman has put together some hot shooting streaks. The Eagles have made 55 percent of their shots from the field in three straight games, as well as at least 10 threes in three straight games. Carson-Newman hasn't hit double-digit threes in four straight games since 2019 (Newberry, Johnson C. Smith, Wingate and Lincoln Memorial from Jan. 19-30). Carson-Newman hasn't experienced four straight games on the plus side of 55 percent shooting since 2018 (Newberry, at Mars Hill, at Coker and Anderson from Jan. 20-31).
The contest features some of the best rebounding in the country. Carson-Newman leads the nation as a team in rebounding margin, outrebounding foes by an average of 11 per game. Meanwhile, Lincoln Memorial's Martez Brown is the nation's number one rebounding as an individual with 13.0 boards per game. Brown has made it to double-digit rebounds in seven consecutive games, in that stretch, he has five games with at least 15 boards, including a season-high 20 in a 75-70 win over Winston-Salem State.
LMU only has one loss at home in its last 64 contests dating back to 2019. That game two games ago on Dec. 19 to No. 14 North Georgia in overtime. Wingate's 2019 SAC quarterfinal win on a Charlie Hovasse buzzer beater represents LMU's previous loss in Harrogate.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Railsplitters is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. 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.
