JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (19-8, 14-7) gets the first crack at a second straight 20-win campaign when it welcomes Emory & Henry (6-19, 4-17 SAC) to Holt Fieldhouse for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff Wednesday.
Carson-Newman takes aim at its fifth, 20-win season under Chuck Benson and its third in his last four years as head coach. With three games left in the regular season schedule, Carson-Newman has already wrapped up a spot in the SAC tournament. A win Wednesday combined with a UVA Wise loss to Lincoln Memorial would guarantee the Eagles a top-four seed.
Carson-Newman has been effective from long range against Emory & Henry since the Wasps joined the SAC. In five meetings against E&H, The Eagles have connected on 61 threes. In four of the meetings, the Eagles have buried double-digit triples. C-N has done it with remarkable efficiency, connecting on 53.5 percent of its threes against the Wasps in that time. Carson-Newman leads the nation in three-point efficiency this season at 42.8 percent. The Eagles are sixth nationally with 11 threes made per game.
Emory & Henry is the top shot-swatting team in the South Atlantic Conference, averaging a league best 4.5 blocks per game. The Wasps are top 20 in the country in that regard. E&H has 11 games this season where it has rejected at least five shots, including 10 against Mars Hill.
C-N won the first meeting between the teams this year back on Nov. 26, 91-75. C-N put up 58 points in the second half en route to an 18th straight win over the Wasps in the series. C-N connected on 19-of-26 shots after halftime and 9-of-11 threes.
John Zhao is the ninth member of Carson-Newman's 200-three club. Nick Brenegan joined the club earlier this season. Brenegan has 272, good for second all-time in school history. It is unlikely that he catches the program's all-time leader Ish Sanders, and his 340 career threes. With 228 career threes, Zhao passed assistant coach Luke Brenegan and is officially fifth all-time in threes made. He needs 31 triples to draw level with Charles Clark and Malik Abraham for third all-time.
Zhao leads the SAC and is ninth nationally this season with 77 threes made this year. Three more threes will give him 80 for the year - the 12th season in school history with 80 triples. Zhao would join Ish Sanders (three), Malik Abraham (three) and Calvin Owen (two) as the only players to hit that mark twice. Nick Brenegan is also three threes away from that same distinction. Ish Sanders (99) and Brenegan (108) are the only two players in school history to make more than 90 in a season.
Zhao, Brenegan and Jack Browder are see-sawing around the all-time leading scoring list. Zhao has 1,361 career points Brenegan 1,282 and Browder 1,250. Zhao is oficially in the top 25 all-time in school history in scoring. He needs seven points to draw even with Mike Morton (1,368) to enter the top-20 all-time. Brenegan is one point away from Will Kinnick (1,283) and 25th on the all-time scoring list. Browder needs four to equal Todd Lucas' 1,254 for 30th all-time.
Tipoff between C-N and E&H is slated for 7:30 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 7:15 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.
