Defensively-minded Eagles grind down Big Blue 70-59
January 20, 2021

Defensively-minded Eagles grind down Big Blue 70-59

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (4-4) held Bluefield State (1-3) 30 points below its season average and closed the contest with a 6-0 run in a 70-59 non-conference win over the Big Blue Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse. 

VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview

VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Tripp Davis Interview

VIDEO: Tyler Bowens Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (4-4) held Bluefield State (1-3) 30 points below its season average and closed the contest with a 6-0 run in a 70-59 non-conference win over the Big Blue Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse. 

The Big Blue entered the contest averaging 89.4 points per game. The Eagles limited Bluefield State to a season-low for points and 41 percent shooting, including a 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) mark from beyond the arc. 

"We were stingier that second half," Benson said. "To hold them 30 below their average, I'm very proud of our guys for that.  It speaks well to our personnel. We have guys who are capable and committed defenders. I've done this dance with our zone and a love/hate relationship with it. I've fallen back in love with it. We've got the right people to execute it and they're doing a good job with."

Coupled with Saturday's defensive effort against Lenoir-Rhyne where the Eagles limited the Bears to 54 points, Carson-Newman has help back-to-back foes under 60 points for the first time since 2013. 

Carson-Newman held four straight foes under 60 points that year from Feb. 2 – Feb. 13 against Wingate, Tusculum, Lenoir-Rhyne and Mars Hill. 

The contest see-sawed back-and-forth for the first 38 minutes before the Eagles created some distance in winning time. 

"We showed a lot of determination and character," Benson said. "Bluefield was defending us with pride – playing hard, being physical and defending us on the perimeter.  Our guys were really determined to do what we wanted to do and execute what we wanted to execute.  We capitalized on some critical points there late."

The teams were tied four times and swapped leads on nine occasions before the Eagles closed the contest on a 6-0 run to notch a second straight double-digit win.  Bluefield State gabbed its last lead with 10:54 to play on a Brandon Anyanwu three. However, on the ensuing possession Bryant Thomas (Charlotte, N.C.) scooped up an offensive rebound and got hacked on a tip in.

He missed the and-one free throw but Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) went one-on-four to grab the rebound.  He flipped it out to the wing to Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) who shuffled it to the right corner for Davis to can an open three. The five-point possession gave C-N the lead for good. 

"It was instincts just looking to see where the ball was going to bounce," Davis said. "I just went for it, kicked it out to Luke. He kicked it back and I had to shoot it."

The Eagles closed out the contest with a quartet of free throws from Brenegan and Davis sandwiched around a highlight reel tomahawk slam from Ren Dyer (Weaverville, N.C.) to set the final margin at 70-59 in favor of C-N. 

EJ Bush paved the way for C-N with 17 – the second straight game he led C-N in scoring. He sank a season-high eight shots on 14 attempts.  Bush was instrumental down the stretch run for C-N sinking a pair of turn-around js from the middle of the lane in the final three minutes.  Bush added five rebounds. 

He was one of four Eagles in double figures. Davis added in 14 and six boards – canning a pair of second-half threes.  Davis had 10 after halftime. 

Dyer ran his streak of double-digit scoring games to six consecutive with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.  Dyer becomes the first freshman in Carson-Newman's NCAA history with back-to-back double-doubles and the first Eagle to secure back-to-back double-doubles since Bush did it last season against Warren Wilson and Anderson from Dec. 4 – 7, 2019. 

"He's capable," Benson said. "I've got to do a better job to get him some breathing room because he plays so hard and our opponents have been so physical.  It's not fair to him.  He had some human highlight reel plays tonight."

Dyer is only the second freshman in the last 21 years with two double-doubles in the same year, joining Corbin Jackson from 2011-12.  His string of six consecutive double-digit scoring efforts is only exceeded by the quality of Ish Sanders' six from 2010-11. Sanders scored 90 on his steak, averaging 15 a night.  Dyer has scored 80 in this stretch, averaging 13.3 a night.  No C-N freshman in the last 21 seasons has scored double-digits in seven consecutive games. 

Finally, Tyler Bowens (Greenville, S.C.) chipped in 10 – his second career double-digit scoring effort. 

Carson-Newman shot a season-high 50 percent from the field (26-of-56) while outrebound the Big Blue 36-30.

Marquez Cooper led Bluefield State with 20 points on an efficient 8-of-15 effort from the field and 2-of-5 mark from long range. 

Anyanwu added in an inefficient 12 going 4-for-13 from the three and 1-of-6 from long range.  Carson-Newman got Alex Nunnally in foul trouble to keep him to 10 points and six boards. He was averaging 16 and 14 on the year. 

"Nunnally being in foul trouble was huge," Benson said. "He was one of their two top players.  Our guys went right at him and got him his third in the first."

Carson-Newman wraps up a four-game home stand Saturday against Wingate. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. 

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