JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (9-5) and No. 9/7 North Georgia (9-3) will look to close out 2024 on a high note in a pivotal Southeast Region matchup inside Holt Fieldhouse Saturday at 2 p.m.
The contest has lost a touch of its luster in the preceding week with both the Eagles and Nighthawks riding two-game losing streaks entering the game. North Georgia hasn't lost three straight since February 2023, while C-N hasn't dropped three consecutive since February 2022.
The Nighthawks dropped back-to-back non-conference games to Rogers State and Central Missouri in San Antonio, while the Eagles have fallen in back-to-back road league games to Catawba and Limestone.
This is Carson-Newman's first meeting with North Georgia since a 77-73 win over the Nighthawks on Nov. 28, 2009 in the Dick Campbell Memorial Classic. Jordan Dixon turned in a 30-point performance off the bench to lead the Eagles to the win.
Carson-Newman is playing its second nationally-ranked foe of the season. The Eagles registered a 94-75 win over then-No. 23 Fort Lewis the first time out. The Nighthawks are the defending Southeast Region champs and an Elite Eight participant from a year ago. Carson-Newman will be looking for its first home win over a top-25 foe since Nov. 12, 2016 - that was a 111-109 instant classic overtime victory over No. 6 Lincoln Memorial. All of Carson-Newman's ranked wins since then have bizarrely enough come on the road or in neutral venues.
This will be Carson-Newman's first-ever non-conference home game under Chuck Benson against a nationally-ranked foe. All of Carson-Newman's previous games against nationally-ranked foes in Holt came against league foes. Those have exclusively been against Lincoln Memorial and Queens, the exception of one December 2015 game against then No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne.
Jack Browder has been stellar offensively over Carson-Newman's last five games. The junior forward is averaging 27 points per game while shooting 65.4 percent from the field, 58.8 percent from three and 93.8 percent from the line. He has scored 20 or more points in four of C-N's last five games.
Carson-Newman's three-point shooting has dipped a touch in the month of December. Carson-Newman drilled 10 threes in all but two of its 10-games in November. With the calendar turning to December, C-N has failed to hit double-digit threes in consecutive games for the second time this season (the Eagles hit seven and nine threes at Catawba and Limestone on less than a 33 percent clip in both games). C-N had a pair of 8-for-23 days in Boone against King and Lees-McRae. After shooting 43 percent from deep in November, the Eagles are at 35 percent for December.
It has been insane what teams have done in the second half against C-N in the last five games. C-N is 2-3, remarkably, in that stretch given that opponents are shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 54.4 percent from three with 6.2 threes made in second halves. Carson-Newman hasn't been poor offensively, averaging 44.6 points with 53.6, 36.4 and 85.5 splits. C-N is making more free throws than its opponents in that stretch as well.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Nighthawks is set for 2 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 1:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available through FloCollege at cneagles.com/FloMBB.
