Davis’ school-record highlights Benson birthday bashing of Mars Hill
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) matched Kyle Gribble’s two-decade old school record for steals in a game and Carson-Newman (13-5, 11-5 South Atlantic Conference) used a 17-2 second half run to traipse to a 98-66 win at Mars Hill (1-13, 1-13 SAC) on head coach Chuck Benson’s birthday Thursday night.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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44 | 54 | 98 |
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34 | 32 | 66 |
VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Tripp Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) matched Kyle Gribble's two-decade old school record for steals in a game and Carson-Newman (13-5, 11-5 South Atlantic Conference) used a 17-2 second half run to traipse to a 98-66 win at Mars Hill (1-13, 1-13 SAC) on head coach Chuck Benson's birthday Thursday night.
"We've got one regular season game left," Benson said. "This semester has been probably the most enjoyable experience in 18 years as a college head coach. That's due to the experience I'm having with the guys on this team. There is a genuine unity, relationship and desire to do their part. All those things are a part of what has allowed us to win games. Had we not been winning games, I'd still really be enjoying these guys. The last six weeks have been an absolute blessing."
The win is Carson-Newman's eighth consecutive. It marks the longest win streak for Carson-Newman with Chuck Benson as head coach and the Eagles' longest spurt since the 2001-02 team won 19 straight en route to an appearance in the Sweet 16.
Davis matched Gribbles' seven steals that the former produced on Dec. 15, 2001 against USC Aiken. The seven swipes were a part of a 22-point, six-rebound, three-assist night for Davis.
He helped C-N force 17 turnovers, which the Eagles turned into a season-high 34 points off takeaways.
Davis was 9-for-11 from the field and scored 15 points after halftime.
"He's fast, he's quick and has great instincts," Benson said. "He knows that we're good with him doing what he does. We don't have any guys that are like him. I've encouraged him to gamble a little bit, and it's paying off for him. If you're in the same conversation as Kyle Gribble, you're doing something right. Tripp Davis is leaving an indelible mark on this program, just like Kyle did."
Davis and EJ Bush (Knoxville, Tenn.) combined for 42 on the night. Bush had 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He also canned his first three in the month of February.
Nick Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) rounded out Carson-Newman's double-digit scorers with 10 – his second career double-digit scoring night.
Carson-Newman shot 62.7 percent from the field while canning 11-of-20 threes. That goes down as C-N's seventh game this year with double-digit triples and its third shooting better than 60 percent from the field.
The game was tight until Carson-Newman closed the first half with a 7-0 run that Luke Brenegan (Greenville, S.C.) finished with a triple.
The Eagles would then roll off a 17-2 run to get up by 26 with 11:22 to play in the game and put the contest out of reach for good.
The elder Brenegan brother got the run started with a three before Davis and Tyler Bowens (Greenville, S.C.) capped the burst with back-to-back and-ones.
"It seems like this entire year we have been a second half team," Benson said. "We measure, make adjustments and then get a second wind to start throwing heavy punches. That's a credit to our guys and a testament to our staff."
Isayah Johnson and Justus Shelton both produced season highs for scoring as Mars Hill's only two double-digit scorers. Johnson had 19 on 9-of-12 shooting while Shelton added in 12. He was 6-for-10 from the field.
Carson-Newman held Mars Hill to 42.6 percent shooting. The Lions knocked down 7-of-29 threes (34.1 percent), but were just 3-of-15 from long range after halftime.
The win was the first for Benson when coach C-N on his birthday. The Eagles had dropped the previous three games they'd played on his birthday.
Carson-Newman is off for the weekend before wrapping up the regular season against No. 8 Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. from Holt Fieldhouse. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 7:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
Team Stats
Mars Hill
| Game Statistics | Carson-Newman | Mars Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (37-59) | (26-61) |
| Field Goal % | 62.7% | 42.6% |
| Rebounds | 34 | 32 |
| Assists | 12 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 17 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 34 | 18 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 12 | 17 |
| Pts in the Paint | 52 | 38 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 15 | 5 |
| Bench Pts | 40 | 28 |
