VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Tyler Bowens Interview
VIDEO: Joshuwa Butts Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – In a matchup of the two most efficient offenses in the South Atlantic Conference, UVA Wise (8-9, 4-5 SAC) was the unit found wanting.
Carson-Newman (13-3, 6-2 South Atlantic Conference) scorched the nets to the tune of 57.7 percent shooting while holding UVA Wise to a season-low 39.4 percent mark en route to a 109-72 win over the Cavaliers Thursday afternoon in Holt Fieldhouse.
"If we want to be the kind of team we want to be night in and night out, we have to defend and rebound at a really high level," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "There were two goals that we didn't meet tonight, but overall, I thought in a lot of ways, our defense was right tonight. We defended well, and our defense generated offense."
Carson-Newman outrebounded a fourth straight team by double digits, 43-27, to aid in cresting the century mark for an eighth time this season and a seventh time inside Holt Fieldhouse. The eight, 100-point games are tied for the most in a year since C-N moved to NCAA Division II in 1992-93. The 2017-18 NCAA tournament team also had an eight-pack of 100-point outings.
C-N's rebounding led to a 30-10 edge in fast break points over the Cavs.
"Our guys understand the relationship between defensive rebounding and offensive transition. They understand that so it drives and motivates them to go grab boards," Benson said. "From and offensive standpoint, you never know how you're going to shoot it. We feel like if we can get on the offensive glass, we give ourselves that extra opportunity. Tonight was another example of that."
Carson-Newman used four separate runs of 8-0 or greater in the first half to roll to a 55-30 halftime lead. After Calen Lightford started the game with a three for UVA Wise, C-N answered with an 11-0 run to take a lead it would never surrender. John Zhao (Sevierville, Tenn.) answered Lightford's triple with a three of his own, and the offensive onslaught was on for C-N. Zhao and Browder capped the run with a fast break three and a fast break layup, respectively to give the Eagles an eight-point lead 2:46 into the game.
The Eagles took a double-digit lead for good with 10:33 to play in the first half with a 12-0 run. Joshuwa Butts (Fairburn, Ga.) dumped in a bunny off a feed by Ren Dyer (Weaverville, N.C.) to ignite the run. Nick Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.), the nation's leader in threes, capped the surge with back-to-back triples to put C_N ahead by 20 for the first time on the night.
"They are a really good offensive team," Benson said. "The reality is that we knew it was going to be difficult. Our guys were locked in and set a tone from the jump defensively. Lightford made some threes early, but there were a lot of other things that we were doing defensively that I was liking for how it set the tone for the game."
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For a third time this season, Carson-Newman finished with three, 20-point scorers (something that had happened twice in the preceding 22 years). Brenegan led all scorers with an efficient 24 for his seventh 20-point night.
He was 9-of-14 from the field and 6-of-9 from deep. He also handed out five assists.
Jack Browder (Kingsport, Tenn.) turned in his sixth double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 boards. He was 8-for-11 from the field and 2-for-3 from three.
Zhao completed the Eagles' 20-point triumvirate with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a 4-of-7 mark from deep. He also dolled out five assists.
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Trey Hubbard (Charlotte, N.C.) rounded out the Eagles' double-digit scorers with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting. He turned in his fourth straight game with at least five assists. Hubbard also added in six rebounds.
"After games, when I see the stats, it doesn't compute because it doesn't feel that way in real time," Benson said. "I get lost in the moment. I knew we were surging, and I turn around and we're up 20. It's happening to me too with individual performances. Never would have guessed that we had three guys score 20 tonight."
Carson-Newman dished out 33 assists on 41 made baskets. That registers as the second-most in school history and the fourth time this season C-N has had 30 or more in a game.
Of the 13 players who saw the floor for C-N, 11 had an assist. Zhao, Hubbard and Brenegan each had five.
Tyler Bowens (Greenville, S.C.) had four dimes, second most in his career, in seven minutes. Butts had a career-high three.
"I say it all the time, we have guys who trust each other in a big time way both as players and as people," Benson said. "There's a great deal of trust and they are willing to share the ball because passing can turn good to great."
Zion Fruster paced UVA Wise with 20 points. He was 7-of-18 from the field. Lightford and Lav Cventokvic' each had 15, while Zy'Ever Wingfield added in 11 on 5-of-16 shooting.
Carson-Newman dominated the interior and had a 50-25 advantage for points in the paint. The Eagles only committed eight turnovers to 12 for UVA Wise leading to a 21-9 edge in points off giveaways.
Carson-Newman hits the road Saturday to take on league-leading Wingate. Tipoff from Cuddy Arena is slated for 4 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports starts 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
