JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 24/20 Carson-Newman (6-1, 2-0 SAC) will face a stiff test to wrap up a four-game homestand when two-time defending South Atlantic Conference tournament champion Catawba (2-2, 0-1 SAC) arrives in Holt Fieldhouse for a 4 p.m. tip Saturday.
Catawba has won two straight in the series with the Eagles and is making its first visit to Holt Fieldhouse in three seasons. The Indians haven't visited Jefferson City since a 68-64 C-N win in February of 2022.
Catawba is doing what it has typically done under Rob Perron for back-to-back SAC tournament championship runs - cause oodles of defensive chaos. The Indians are ninth nationally producing 13 steals per game. With reigning SAC Defensive Player of the Year Javeon Jones graduated, Montravis White has taken over status as top ball hawk. He leads the league with 2.75 steals per game. Catawba forces 19.75 turnovers per game, second in the SAC. C-N has turned it over 20 and 21 times in its last two meetings with the Indians.
Senior shooting guard Nick Brenegan became the eighth member of the 200 three club at Carson-Newman against King on Saturday. He has 215 triples in his career, and is in the top five in C-N history for career threes made. He needs seven more to catch his older brother Luke for fourth on the all-time list, and to prove he is a substantially better shooter than his older brother.
The 1,000-point watch for Carson-Newman's 42nd member of the 1K club in C-N history is on. Nick Brenegan joined the club with a 29-point effort in a 105-101 win over Lenoir-Rhyne. Brenegan sits on 1,024 career points as the club's 41st member. John Zhao is within striking distance with 995 points. He needs five to become number 42. Chuck Benson has coached 11 members of Carson-Newman's 1,000-point club.
Carson-Newman is clicking into the offensive form in which it spent much of the 2023-24 season. The Eagles have been hyper efficient to begin the year, averaging 53.3 percent shooting, a figure that is 11th nationally. Carson-Newman is 12th in effective field goal perentage at .620. C-N has shot better than 50 percent from the field in all six games on its active winning streak. The Eagles have scored 100 points in four of its last five games in Holt Fieldhouse dating back to an 84-81 loss to Tusculum on Valentine's Day last year.
Carson-Newman has shot 50 percent from the field in six straight games. The Eagles haven't shot 50 percent or better in six straight since starting the 2017-18 season with seven straight 50 percent or better shooting nights.
Jack Browder has been dominant on the glass to start his junior campaign. Browder is fourth in the country in total rebounds with 63. It's helped pave the way for him to tally double-double after double-double. He has four on the year and in back-to-back games. Browder is third in the nation with his quartet of double-doubles. He's never had three straight games with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Indians is set for 4 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mix 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloMbb.
