VIDEO: Dec. 2022 C-N v. Mars Hill Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (16-5, 9-4 South Atlantic Conference) has done fine work this season bouncing back from losses.
C-N hasn't dropped consecutive games this year and will look to continue that trend when it heads up the mountain to face Mars Hill (2-17, 1-11 SAC) Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Burt Stanford Arena.
The Eagles suffered through their largest margin of defeat Saturday at Catawba in an 87-68 loss to the Indians. C-N turned it over 20 times compared to eight for Catawba, leading to a 27-9 advantage in points off turnovers for the Indians.
"Make no mistake," head coach Chuck Benson said. "We put Catawba in the rearview mirror the moment the final horn sounded. Mars Hill has one of the best one-two scoring punches in the conference and we will have to be at our best to contend with that."
It's a trend that the Eagles will seek to correct both in the micro of this season, but also the macro of the series against Mars Hill. C-N averaged 20 turnovers a game last year against the Lions in splitting the season series.
Carson-Newman has won five of the last six in the series against Mars Hill. C-N holds a narrow 7-6 lead over the Lions in the last 13 meetings, however, all seven of Carson-Newman's wins in that stretch (dating back to 2016-17) have been by double-digits. C-N's average margin of victory in its last seven wins over the Lions has been by 18.625 points.
Mars Hill's duo of Kadyn Dawkins (19.4) and Kory Davis (18.3) are the second-highest scoring duo in the South Atlantic Conference, combining to average 37.7 points per game. Only Carson-Newman's duo of John Zhao (19.9) and Nick Brenegan (19.1) averages more at 39.0 points per game.
Nick Brenegan's 4.35 made triples per game are the most in the country. He has buried 87 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 50.6 percent for the season.
His 87 threes are already the fourth most in a single-season in Carson-Newman basketball history. One three will draw him even with Malik Abraham for second. Abraham hit 88 in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.
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. There are 11 NCAA Division II institutions with two players averaging 17 points per game. The Eagles are the only one with three.
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 103.4 points at home, while shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 45.3 percent from three. Those numbers fall to a strong, but nowhere near as insane levels on the road. C-N averages 82.0 points per game in true road games with 47.5 percent shooting from the field and 43.8 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 is second in the country in rebounding margin, averaging an 11.2 rebound advantage per game. Carson-Newman has outrebounded 15 of 20 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. Eight teams this season have grabbed six or fewer offensive rebounds against the Eagles.
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.
