Deans of SAC coaches clash at Cuddy Arena
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The two coaches with the most wins among active coaches in the South Atlantic Conference match wits when Carson-Newman (7-2. 3-1 SAC) and Wingate (5-4, 1-3 SAC) tip at 2 p.m. Saturday from the Bulldogs’ Cuddy Arena.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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41 | 29 | 70 |
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41 | 38 | 79 |
VIDEO: On Press Row
VIDEO: C-N at Wingate Full Broadcast Replay Feb. 2025
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The two coaches with the most wins among active coaches in the South Atlantic Conference match wits when Carson-Newman (7-2. 3-1 SAC) and Wingate (5-4, 1-3 SAC) tip at 2 p.m. Saturday from the Bulldogs' Cuddy Arena.
The matchup pits Chuck Benson versus Brian Good. The two head coaches are the only two active coaches in the South Atlantic Conference with more than 400 career victories. In 31 seasons as a collegiate basketball coach, Good has 414 wins, while Benson sits at 403 in 23 years.
Good is in his 18th year at Wingate, the dean of the league's coaches, while Benson is in his 16th at C-N. Catawba's Rob Perron is the only other active coach in the league with a decade of service in the SAC.
This marks the first time the teams have played in the first semester since 2021.
The matchups of late in Cuddy Arena between the two teams have been absurdly close. Three of the last five contests have been decided in the final 10 seconds, and two of those at the buzzer. Ousmane Dia won the game last year for C-N with a tip in. The meeting before that, Donnell Nixon canned a three as time expired to win for Wingate. On Jan. 22, 2022, Destin Clark tipped in a miss with 7.8 left to win for WU.
Jack Browder enters the contest on 1,574 career points. He is 11th all-time in scoring, and, if you follow numbers, the program's 13th all-time 1,500-point scorer. He is four points away from moving into the top 10 all-time in scoring and matching Mark Mason's 1,578 career points. Browder is eighth among active NCAA Division II players in career scoring and 35th among all players in all divisions.
With 708 career rebounds, Browder is fifth among active Division II players in career rebounds. With 1,500 career points, he has joined Mike Ogan, Tommy Everette, Charles Clark, Sawyer Williams and Antoine Davis as the sixth player in school history with 1,500 career points and 500 career rebounds. Browder, Ogan and Everette are the only three members of the 1,500/700 club. Browder is the only player in the NCAA era to do that. Browder is one of eight active players playing NCAA college basketball with 1,500 career points and 700 career rebounds. Carl Cleveland at Young Harris and Maceo Williams at Ashland are the only others in NCAA Division II.
With 29 career double-doubles, Browder already has career mark for Carson-Newman for all-time double-doubles (at least in the NCAA era where we have game-by-game stats). He has the second-most double-doubles among active NCAA Division II players, behind Young Harris' Carl Cleveland's 30. He has the 15th-most double-doubles amongst players in all divisions.
Browder is the only player in NCAA Division II to lead his league in scoring and rebounding. Browder, Frostburg State's Mike Montano (29.0 ppg - 1st, 12.0 rpg - 3rd) and Tampa's Ryan Blount (21.7 ppg - 16th, 9.6 rpg - 18th) are the only players in the top 25 nationally for both scoring and rebounding. Browder is 10th in scoring at 22.3 points per game and 12th in rebounding at 10.0 boards per game.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Bulldogs is set for 2 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 1:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mix 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A view of press row will be available on the Eagle Sports Network YouTube channel.
Team Stats
Wingate
| Game Statistics | Carson-Newman | Wingate |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (20-50) | (25-59) |
| Field Goal % | 40.0% | 42.4% |
| Rebounds | 32 | 38 |
| Assists | 14 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 11 | 12 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 15 |
| Pts in the Paint | 22 | 20 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 13 | 2 |
| Bench Pts | 11 | 18 |
