JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (1-1) will look to expand on an opening statement made at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic when it heads to Boone, N.C. for two games in the SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge, Saturday and Sunday.
Carson-Newman enters the event fresh of a 19-point win over No. 22 Fort Lewis, the largest margin of victory by C-N over a nationally-ranked team in Chuck Benson's tenure as head coach.
Originally scheduled for Banner Elk, N.C. and Lees-McRae's Williams Gym, damages to the Bobcats' home facility necessitated the move to Appalachian State's Holmes Convocation Center. C-N will open the event against King at approximately 5:30 p.m. Saturday (an App State volleyball match with Marshall precedes the contest, it will follow after that game and the court's transformation back to basketball). The weekend wraps up against Lees-McRae, Sunday at 3 p.m.
Carson-Newman has played in Boone before, falling in an exhibition game to Appalachian State on Nov. 5, 2012, 62-59. C-N led App State by 10 in the second half of that game, and a shot in the final 10 seconds by Antoine Davis to win it went by the wayside.
Carson-Newman is searching to go 2-0 against King and UVA Wise in this iteration of the SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge for a second straight year. C-N, King, LMC and UVA Wise have formed a quartet playing one another every year, with the exception of the CoVID-shortened 2020-21 season, since 2019. C-N is 4-4 against King and LMC in the challenge in that stretch.
Senior shooting guard Nick Brenegan enters the opening-season tournament needing one three to hit 200 for his career. That would make him the eighth player in Carson-Newman history with 200 triples in a career and tie him with Jesse McMurray (2005-09) for seventh all-time. He would need to hit nine to catch Braun Dabbs (2001-04) for sixth all-time with his 208.
The 1,000-point watch for Carson-Newman's 41st member of the 1K club in C-N history is on. Brenegan sits on 932 career points, 68 away. Meanwhile, John Zhao is on 896, needing 104 to get to the mark. Jack Browder is less imminent, needing 231 points with 769 in his Carson-Newman career. Brenegan, with a 64-point night under his belt, is theoretically within a stone's throw for the weekend with another insane record-setting performance (however unlikely).
Lees-McRae was picked to finish sixth in Conference Carolinas in the league's annual preseason poll. Meanwhile, King was picked to finish 10th.
Lees-McRae men's basketball put a scare into ACC opponent NC State in the Lenovo Center last Wednesday. The Bobcats and the Wolfpack were tied at 69-69 with 3:40 to go in the second half, but NC State collected the 79-75 win in the exhibition. DJ Kent recorded a game-high 17 points on 7-12 shooting for the Bobcats. Anthony Parker followed with 15 points on 6-13 from the field and Florence had 10 points in 24 minutes of action on Wednesday night.
Carson-Newman rolled past LMC last year 101-77 behind 28 points from John Zhao. He was 10-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from three.
King returns Conference Carolinas freshman of the year Mikahil Pocknett, also a second-team all-league selection. He was 11th nationally in offensive boards per game last season and attempted the seventh-most free throws in the nation.
C-N collected a 74-72 win over King last year thanks to a Nick Brenegan three with 24 seconds left. Brenegan's triple capped a furious C-N rally. The Eagles trailed 63-53 with 6:45 to play after a Myles McCrary layup capped a 13-3 King run. The Eagles closed the game forcing King to miss eight of its final nine shots while outscoring the Tornado 21-9. down the stretch.
The Eagle Sports Network will broadcast both games. Saturday's affair with King will be web only at cneagles.com/live. Sunday's contest with Lees-McRae is set for a 3 p.m. tip and 2:45 air-time on the ESN starting with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on MIX 105.5 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
