BOONE, NC – Three Eagles finish with 20 or more points as Carson-Newman (2-1) staves off a second-half run from King (0-1), winning 92-80 inside Holmes Convocation Center.
"First of all, credit to King," head coach Chuck Benson said. "Their top dogs performed like their top dogs should… But also, credit to our guys. We showed a lot of resiliency, especially when we got down a little bit midway through the second half. Our guys stayed poised and committed to what our plan was… We were able to pull away late there and get the lead.
The Eagles opened up an 11-point lead in the first half, but King was efficient the rest of the way, cutting the deficit to one on a Mikhail Pocknett buzzer-beating layup to send the Tornado to the locker room with momentum, trailing 41-40.
Jack Browder (Kingsport, Tenn.) paced the Eagles in the first half with a team-high 12 points, knocking down two of the six C-N first-half threes. John Zhao (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Trey Hubbard (Charlotte, NC) chipped in with nine apiece, while Nick Brenegan (Greenville, SC) added five, with his lone first-half three marking the 200th in his career. Matt Bilbrey (Crossville, Tenn.) scored four off the bench.
It was a solid statistical half for C-N, shooting 16-of-32 from the field and generating ten King turnovers, leading to 12 fastbreak points. However, the 11 offensive rebounds for the Tornado supplied second chances to keep the game within reach.
It was a back-and-forth start to the second half before the Tornado ripped off a 9-2 scoring run to take a six-point lead into the under-12 media timeout. From that point on, the Eagles controlled the pace of play and turned defense into offense, capitalizing on six King turnovers to build a decisive lead down the stretch. C-N tallied a 9-0 run late in the second half to pull away from the Tornado, building a double-digit lead.
Zhao, Browder, and Hubbard replicated their effort from the last time out, exploding in the second half to all finish with 20 points or more. Zhao tallied a double-double, adding 11 rebounds to his 21 points.
"Our big dogs do what they do," Benson said. "It's never surprising to me when we have guys do that… I know that it can happen on any given night. I hope that some other guys will make that mark as this year goes on. I know we have other guys that will when it's their time. I think they'll stand up and do some good stuff, too."
C-N dominated in transition, turning 16 King turnovers into 25 transition points, something the Eagles believe they can continue to emphasize throughout the young season with their speed in the backcourt.
"I've got two words for you," Benson said. "Trey Hubbard. He is one of the fastest guards in the country… However, to be honest with you, I felt that we left points on the table in transition today… We were sort of sporadic… We have to get more consistent in that regard."
Browder led C-N in scoring, finishing with 24 on 9-of-14 shooting. Zhao scored 21 on eight made field goals, securing a double-double with his 11 rebounds. Hubbard collected 20 points, falling just a rebound short of a double-double. Brenegan added 15, including 10 second-half points. Braden Ilic (Morristown, Tenn.) also neared a double-double, scoring eight points and adding seven rebounds.
Reigning Conference Carolinas freshman of the year Mikhail Pocknett led the Tornado with 24 points. Jordan Akal added 21 to help pace the way for King.
C-N returns to the Holmes Convocation Center tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 PM to face Lees-McRae in the final game of the SAC/Conference Carolinas Challenge.
For updates throughout the men's basketball season, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.
