Eagles cruise past Mars Hill, 99-73

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman used a 19-2 mid-game run and built a 36-point second half to en route to drubbing visiting Mars Hill, 99-73, on Wednesday night in Holt Fieldhouse.

The Eagles had five players reach double figures and made 11 three pointers to abrupty end their three-game South Atlantic Conference losing streak.

With the win, C-N moves to 10-7 overall and 3-4 in SAC play. Mars Hill is now 3-13 and 1-6 in the league.

C-N blew open a 42-33 game just before the half as Ishmael Sanders hit a three pointer on the final possession of the first half and the opening possession of the second half to fuel the run. Sanders finished with 16 points and five assists. Junior Collin Crane added five points during the run including a put back of a Kevin Leatherwood miss as the Eagles pulled away.

Freshman Corbin Jackson's one-handed dunk put the Eagles up by 30 at 67-37 led than four minutes into the second half. Jackson finished with 10 points and nine boards.

C-N would make six of its first seven shots in the second half before eventually building a 78-42 lead with 13:10 to play.

Carson-Newman never trailed, leading 5-0 at 18 minute mark of the first half as Antoine Davis knocked down the first of his four three-pointers on the night. Davis led the Eagles with 18 points of 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Junior Marcellous Perez added 13 points and a game-high eight assists. The Eagles had 23 assists in the game, while Mars Hill made just 20 field goals.

Senior forward Kevin Hare added 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting.

Mars Hill got 21 points from Sammy Emile to lead all scorers. Emile was just 4-of-18 from the floor, but made 11-of-15 free throw attempts.

As a team, Mars Hill was 28-of-40 at the line in a game slowed by 55 combined fouls and 68 free throw attempts.

Mars Hill shot just 32 percent in the game and struggled to make anything from long range, connecting on just 5-of-26 three-point attempts.

Emile did lead four Lions in double figures, as Terrell Harris, Austin Patton, and Khouriachi Thiam, and Terrell Harris all added 11. Thiam had a game-high 11 rebounds.

Carson-Newman returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Anderson (S.C.) in South Atlantic Conference action. Tipoff is at 2 p.m. in Jefferson City.