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ROCK HILL, S.C. – For a third consecutive year season, the South Atlantic Conference tournament semifinals have an East Tennessee flavor.
Fifth-seeded Carson-Newman (21-10) matches wits with top-seed and No. 8/10 Lincoln Memorial (24-4) for a spot in the SAC title game Thursday at noon from the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center.
This marks the seventh time C-N and LMU have met in the SAC tournament. LMU holds a 4-2 edge in tournament play. This is the fifth time the teams will have played in the semifinals and the third straight season. C-N is looking for its first title game appearance since 2022, LMU is trying to get back to the championship game for a second straight year.
Carson-Newman entered the South Atlantic Conference tournament as a five seed for the second time since 2005. The Eagles were last a five-seed in 2021-22 and beat Wingate and Lincoln Memorial before falling to Queens in the SAC title game. The five seed is one of C-N's more productive seeds. The Eagles have been a five, four times, winning a title in 1994 and getting to the title game in 2022. Carson-Newman's seven wins as a five are the most out of all the seeds that C-N has been.
This is Carson-Newman's fourth straight tournament where C-N has won its quarterfinal game. The Eagles were ousted from last year's tournament in the semifinals by Lincoln Memorial 70-65.
John Zhao is the ninth member of Carson-Newman's 200-three club. Nick Brenegan joined the club earlier this season. Brenegan has 284, good for second all-time in school history and fifth in league history. It is unlikely that he catches the program's all-time leader Ish Sanders, and his 340 career threes. Brenegan needs three more threes to catch Newberry's James Stepp for fourth in league history. With 233 career threes, Zhao passed assistant coach Luke Brenegan and is officially fifth all-time in threes made. He needs 26 triples to draw level with Charles Clark and Malik Abraham for third all-time in school history. Zhao is 13th all-time in SAC history for career threes made. He needs six more to match Queens Todd Withers for 12th on the all-time list.
Zhao, Brenegan and Jack Browder are see-sawing around the all-time leading scoring list. Zhao has 1,495 career points Brenegan 1,345 and Browder 1,324. Zhao is oficially in the top 20 all-time in school history in scoring. Zhao needs five points to become the 20th player in school history with 1,400 career points, 20 will move him into a tie for 19th with George Cox (1,415). Brenegan and Browder trail Mike Morton (1,368) for 21st all-time. Brenegan could reach him with 23 points.
Nick Brenegan is the fourth player in school history with multiple 80-three seasons. John Zhao joined him as the fifth player in school history with that distinction, knocking down his 80th against Coker in the regular season finale. With 89 threes, Brenegan is second in the SAC, a figure that is 18th nationally. Brenegan (108) and Ish Sanders (99) are the only two players in program history with more than 90 threes in a season. Calvin Owen's mark of 86 marks the demarcation line for the top five for a season.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Railsplitters is set for noon Thursday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 11:45 a.m. with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mix 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
