Storylines – vs. Carson-Newman University
In his 10th season leading the men's basketball program, head coach Chuck Benson's Eagles will host UVA Wise in the two teams first matchup of the season. Carson-Newman entered the campaign selected fifth in the South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches poll after the team finished last year with a 15-14 overall mark, 8-12 in the league. The Eagles have picked up one win so far in 2020, topping Tusculum 72-68, a week ago, and currently claim a 6-10 record and are 3-7 in SAC play. As a team, Carson-Newman is outscoring opponents by a +2.7 margin while averaging 86.7 points per game and shooting 46.6 percent from the field. The Eagles are shooting 65.6 percent from the free throw line and 37.6 percent from behind the arc so far this season. The team is outrebounding opponents by a +5.4 margin, grabbing 43.4 boards per game and dishing out 16.2 assist per contest. Three Eagles are averaging double-figures in junior EJ Bush (13.9 ppg), senior Tripp Davis (16.8 ppg), and senior Reece Anderson (11.3 ppg). Bush serves as the rebounding leader for the Eagles with a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game while Davis follows with 5.1 rpg. Anderson is registering a team-high 4.1 assists per game while Davis is recording a team-leading 1.5 steals per contest. Coach Benson's team will return to the road for the final two games of January with matchups at Wingate Saturday and Lincoln Memorial next Wednesday.
About UVA Wise
Head Coach Blake Mellinger's squad looks to halt a five-game losing skid at Carson-Newman University. UVA Wise will seek to gain their first road win of the season after dropping two games this past week inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center. Battling injuries, UVA Wise fell to Lenoir-Rhyne, 81-64, last Wednesday before dropping its contest against Coker, 81-77, this weekend, with the Cavs assisted by the recent addition of senior Buster Henderson to their roster. Four Cavaliers scored in double-figures against the Cobras while sophomore
Cameron Whiteside picked up his fourth double-double of the campaign with 21 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Freshman
Izeah Parker collected a season-high 12 points while redshirt junior
Yesid Mosquera-Perea grabbed a career-high 10 boards in the loss to Coker. Scoring 20+ points in his last three games, including back-to-back 30+ points performances, Whiteside now sits at fourth in the league in scoring averaging 20.1 ppg. Whiteside's 7.3 field goals per game place him third among league leaders while redshirt sophomore
Briggs Parris' 3.3 three-pointers per game place him second in the SAC. Senior
Chance Sheffey and freshman
Drew Greene continue to claim the top spot in the conference with Sheffey's 5.3 apg and Greene's 93.8 percent free throw shooting. In the Eagles and Cavs last matchup during the 2018-19 season, Carson-Newman picked up a 90-83 home win over UVA Wise. Â Coach Mellinger's team will stay on the road to take on Anderson (SC) Saturday with tip slated for 4 p.m.
