Clark’s first team selection highlights men’s basketball postseason accolades
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman sophomore guard Charles Clark (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), junior forward Sawyer Williams (Owenton, Ky.) and freshman guard Zack Pangallo (Newport, Ky.) all received postseason accolades from the South Atlantic Conference, the league office announced Thursday.
VIDEO: Charles Clark Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman sophomore guard Charles Clark (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), junior forward Sawyer Williams (Owenton, Ky.) and freshman guard Zack Pangallo (Newport, Ky.) all received postseason accolades from the South Atlantic Conference, the league office announced Thursday.
Clark represented the Eagles on the SAC's all-conference first team, Williams on the second team and Pangallo on the all-freshman team.
Clark was second in the league in scoring with 21.6 points per game. He actually led the league in total points scored with 626 and was second in steals with 57. His 626 points are the most any Eagle has scored in a single season since Carson-Newman joined the SAC in hoops in 1989-90 and ranks just outside the top 10 for the league's all-time single season scoring list.
"Charles had an outstanding sophomore campaign," Benson said. "He absolutely deserves to be a first teamer. We have no doubt that this will be the first of many accolades to come."
Along the way, Clark dropped 30 on four teams this season, including a career best 39 in the Eagles' 102-88 win at Mars Hill. That day, Clark went 14-of-20 from the field and matched his career high with five steals. Clark has more 30-point games (six) in his first two seasons at Mossy Creek than the program's fourth all-time leading scorer, Ish Sanders, had in his entire career (five).
The sophomore scored in double digits in every game of the season and has been on the plus side of 10 points in 36 consecutive games dating back to his freshman season.
The Murfreesboro, Tenn.-native connected on 50.1 percent of his shots and 39.8 percent of his threes. However, where he was most remarkable was the charity stripe. Clark went 180-for-201 from the line to finish the year with an 89.6 percent mark at the free-throw line.
Clark's 180 made freebies are good for sixth all-time on the single season SAC record list, while his 89.6 percentage from the line is 10th all-time in league history and second all-time in school history. Only Ish Sanders (2013-14) was better in the Eagles' annals, connecting on 91.2 percent of his foul shots in his senior year.
Clark represented the only underclassman to make the All-SAC first team this year. He, and Lincoln Memorial's Luquon Choice are the only underclassmen represented on the first team in the last four seasons.
Williams wraps up a junior campaign with his first ever postseason laurels form the league office. Williams, who became the 23rd member of the Eagles' 1,000-point club in the SAC quarterfinals against Wingate, will head into his senior season second on the active leaderboard in Division II in career field goal percentage. He will rank sixth among active leaders next year among players in all divisions.
Williams made 61 percent of his shots in his junior campaign to finish seventh in the league. He has shot 61 percent from the field throughout his career.
"Sawyer performed at a high level consistently for the entire season," Benson said. "I think he's the best returning post player in the SAC. He's a war horse. We asked him to do more than we probably should have asked a player to do, and Sawyer delivered time and time again."
The Morehead State transfer was second on the team in scoring with 16.7 points per game. He also led the Eagles in rebounding with 7.0 boards per game.
Williams tallied his best game of the season against Lincoln Memorial in Harrogate when he dropped 37 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in defeat.
The junior had a pair of double-doubles on the season and had an octet of 20-point efforts.
Pangallo rounded out the Eagles' postseason honorees by making the all-freshman team. He gives Carson-Newman back-to-back all-freshman team honorees after Clark made the team last year.
Pangallo was the third highest scoring freshman in the league with 8.8 points per game. He topped out at 20 points in a loss at home to Tusculum when he went 7-of-16 from the field.
"Zack was thrown into the fire," Benson said. "He came into this league at a time when the guard play in this league was at an all-time high. I really expect Zack to be one of the best point guards in this league in the very near future."
Pangallo led Carson-Newman in assists with 3.5 per game and handed out at least five helpers on 11 occasions. He set his career high for assists with eight as he helped guide Carson-Newman back from a 21-point deficit at Newberry. That game also featured the highlight of Carson-Newman's season when Pangallo banked in a three from the top of the key as time expired to give the Eagles the win.
First Team
Keenan Palmore, Lenoir-Rhyne
Gerel Simmons, Lincoln Memorial
Luquon Choice, Lincoln Memorial
Rob Lewis, Queens
Charles Clark, Carson-Newman
Sean Morgan, Queens
Second Team
Jalen Steele, Lincoln Memorial
Will Perry, Lenoir-Rhyne
Isiah Cureton, Wingate
Sawyer Williams, Carson-Newman
Darius Carter, Tusculum
Jameel Taylor, Catawba
Honorable Mention
Demarcus Threatt, Brevard
Marquis Rankin, Queens
Gerald Evans, Newberry
Dorian Pinson, Lincoln Memorial
Randall Shaw, Anderson
Donte Samuels, Coker
All-Freshman
Randall Shaw, Anderson
Mike Baez, Wingate
Zack Pangallo, Carson-Newman
D.J. Copeland, Newberry
Jeremy Bouton, Anderson
Player of the Year: Keenan Palmore, Lenoir-Rhyne
Freshman of the Year: Randall Shaw, Anderson
Coach of the Year: Josh Schertz, Lincoln Memorial
