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JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the 219th time all-time, Carson-Newman (15-4, 8-3 South Atlantic Conference) and Lincoln Memorial (15-5, 9-2 SAC) match wits in one of the SAC's more storied rivalries at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night in Holt Fieldhouse.
LMU handed Carson-Newman its largest loss of the season back on Jan. 3, 83-64. The Railsplitters are angling to sweep the season series for a second consecutive year.
"We will have to put our scouting hats on to get the right strategy for this one," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "There's no question they are an elite opponent. It will take our best. We have to deliver and do what we way we are going to do."
C-N sits a game back of Wingate and LMU, who are tied for the league lead – amplifying the magnitude of Wednesday's game.
The Eagles and 'Splitters are one and two in the SAC in most statistical categories. C-N has a slight edge in offensive efficiency and rebounding margin, while the Railsplitters have the edge in scoring defense, defensive field goal efficiency and rebounding margin.
Lincoln Memorial has won three straight against Carson-Newman after the Eagles knocked the Railsplitters out of the SAC tournament in 2022. Carson-Newman hasn't beaten LMU in Holt since Jan. 30, 2019, a 79-75 decision in C-N's favor. Mason Bates and Chris Clayton guided C-N that day with 22 and 13, respectively.
Nick Brenegan's 4.72 made triples per game are the most in the country. He has buried 85 this season. also first nationally among all divisions 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 third nationally and second in the SAC in percentage at 51.5 percent for the season.
John Zhao's 8-for-9 barrage from deep against Emory & Henry moved him past Brenegan and into the top spot for three-point percentage in the country. Zhao has a truly insane slash line of 65.1/54.7/87.0.
Brenegan has made more threes this season than 17 teams in NCAA Division II. His 85 threes are already the fifth most in a single-season in Carson-Newman basketball history. One three will draw him even with fourth-place Calvin Owen (86 in 2001-02), while three will bring him level with Malik Abraham for second. Abraham hit 88 in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Brenegan has buried multiple threes in every game this season, but the Lincoln Memorial and Coker contests. He's made a three in 25 straight games dating back to last season. He has made at least three threes in 11 of the last 14 games.
Brenegan, John Zhao, Jack Browder and Trey Hubbard account for a third of the top 12 in the SAC in scoring. The quartet combines to average 74.2 points per game. They average more points per game than 90 NCAA Division II schools do as a team.
Carson-Newman has been on another level offensively at home. C-N has topped triple digits in seven of its nine home games. The Eagles average 104.6 points at home, while shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 46.3 percent from three.
This iteration of the Eagles has the most 100-point performances since moving to NCAA Division II with 10. There have been just five seasons in Carson-Newman men's basketball history with double-digit 100-point games in a season. The last was in 1987-88 when a fourth straight Chris Jones-coached team accomplished it with 11. The 1970-71 team holds the record with 12 such games.
Carson-Newman leads the country in rebounding margin, averaging an 12.3 rebound advantage per game. Carson-Newman has outrebounded 14 of 19 opponents this year by double digits. Tusculum is the only team this season to outrebound Carson-Newman. C-N has outrebounded four teams this year by 20 or more. Seven teams this season have grabbed six or fewer offensive rebounds against the Eagles.
Tipoff Wednesday is set for 7:30 p.m. against Lincoln Memorial. Pregame 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 with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloMbb.
