VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Trey Hubbard Interview
VIDEO: Camden McElhaney Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (10-5) broke out of a two-game losing streak in a massive way, thumping No. 9/7 North Georgia (9-4) 89-68 Saturday afternoon in Holt Fieldhouse.
The 21-point win is Carson-Newman's largest margin of victory over a nationally-ranked foe. It bests the 19-point win the Eagles had over No. 22 Fort Lewis in the second game of the season. The triumph also goes down as head coach Chuck Benson's seventh all-time win over a top-10 team.
"Here's what I saw today," Benson said. "A team that was hungry, a team that was unified, a team that was willing to give more than is expected and a team that had a real clear purpose and identity. That's what we saw today. The outcome favored us because those things were so clear and apparent."
This marks Carson-Newman's first home win against a nationally-ranked team since Nov. 12, 2016. North Georgia was the first ranked team to visit Holt Fieldhouse for a non-conference tilt in Benson's 15-year tenure as head coach.
Carson-Newman led wire-to-wire in the win, albeit in a game that was tied seven times. The wire-to-wire victory is C-N's second of the season. C-N carried a 35-33 lead into the halftime lockerroom before outscoring UNG 54-35 in the second half to win running away.
North Georgia boasted the PeachBelt's top scoring defense and top field goal efficiency defense, allowing 68.4 points and 40.4 percent shooting coming into the game. The Eagles set season highs for points allowed (89) and shooting efficiency allowed (57.4 percent) for the Nighthawks.
"Styles make fights," Benson said. "They are elite at taking away the paint and limiting threes. Our style and personnel were prepared to get the job done. It's the last game before the break, we were coming off a two-game skid, something had to give. We kept punching and punching and punching and the dam broke late in the second half. They are defending region champs and have tons back from last year's Elite Eight team. Today we were the better team and I have nothing but respect for the job Dan (Evans) has done there and the program he has built. That's an NCAA tournament team there for sure. But today, we were the better team and able to come up with the win."
The game hovered around a possession or two for the opening seven minutes of the second half. Carson-Newman was ahead by three, 51-48 with 12:18 to go following a Chase Champion and-one layup.
Then the Eagles kicked on the afterburners. Matt Bilbrey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) jump started a run with a corner three that would see the Eagles rattle off a 21-6 run over the next six minutes. The majority of it came in a three-minute stretch where the Nighthawks failed to score. John Zhao (Sevierville, Tenn.) marked that portion of the surge with a three, before Trey Hubbard (Charlotte, N.C.) capped it with two free throws.
When the dust cleared, Carson-Newman led 72-54 with 5:31 to go. C-N broke down UNG's full court press in the final four minutes, getting Zhao three dunks in the stretch to set the final margin at 21.
Absoluely elite performance
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) December 21, 2024
✅ Largest margin of victory over a nationally ranked team in school history
✅ @CNHeadCoachB's seventh win over a top-10 team
✅ @JackBrowder3's fifth 20-point night in his last six @cn_hoops x #TalonsUp x #GMTE pic.twitter.com/m8jCYOGRTp
C-N handed out 28 assists on 35 made baskets. Hubbard paced C-N with seven dimes. Braden Ilic (Morristown, Tenn.) handed out six assists, while Brenegan had five.
"Today was one of the better games Trey had directing action and taking care of the ball," Benson said. "As a consequence, that run we made, a lot of it was based on the fact that it was coming. Even though we had been struggling, I felt like it was coming. It definitely came at the right time, Santa came at the right time."
C-N was hypereffective from the field after halftime. The Eagles buried 21-of-31 second-half buckets (67.7 percent) and 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) threes. C-N finished the game shooting 57.4 percent, its fifth game this season above 55 percent. The Eagles were 14-of-31 from deep, the second-most threes made in a game this season.
Brenegan broke out of a 3-for-23 slump from deep to go 5-of-7 from range to pace C-N from distance.
"Nick had been in a little bit of a slump," Benson said. "He kept making the investment and going through his processes. He never hit panic. He's a great example of not letting momentary distractions get in the way. He had one of those beautiful Nick Brenegan 5-of-7 three kind of days."
Brenegan finished with 19 points.
NBA range triple from Brenegan!!!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) December 21, 2024
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����⬛North Georgia 50
2nd | 10:43
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Jack Browder led C-N with 26 points, his fifth, 20-point game in his last six contests. Browder was 11-of-20 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep. He led C-N in rebounds (eight), blocks (two) and steals (one) to lead C-N in four statistical categories for the fourth time in his career in one game.
"Some of the shots Jack made were just big boy basketball," Benson said. "There was a lot of bumpin', grindin' and physicality. No one was gaining an advantage, so officials weren't blowing the whistle. He's called Junkyard for a reason because he's dirty in the best possible way. When it comes time to compete, he's up for the scrum, everyday."
Zhao also added in 19, nine of which came in the final four minutes of the game. He was 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-7 from deep.
Ilic rounded out C-N's quartet of double-digit scorers with 12. His six assists were his seventh game this year with at least five.
AJ White led UNG with 20 points. An all-region player, he was 7-of-15 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. Collin Turner added in 16 points and five boards. The Eagles held UNG leading scorer Cayden Charles to 1-of-9 shooting and four points, 13 off his average.
UNG shot 42.1 percent from the field. The Nighthawks were 8-for-21 from deep.
The Eagles outrebounded the Nighthawks 34-27. C-N had seven offensive rebounds, converting all of them into 13 second chance points.
C-N led UNG in points in the paint 42-24.
Carson-Newman breaks for Christmas before returning to the floor Jan. 4 at Coker. Tipoff from Hartsville is slated for 4 p.m. 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.
