Friday matinee set for Eagles, Cobras
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For a second straight weekend, Carson-Newman (11-8, 6-7 South Atlantic Conference) is playing earlier than expected.
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35 | 39 | 74 |
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41 | 39 | 80 |
VIDEO: On Press Row
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For a second straight weekend, Carson-Newman (11-8, 6-7 South Atlantic Conference) is playing earlier than expected.
C-N welcomes Coker (1-18, 0-13 SAC) to Holt Fieldhouse 24 hours ahead of schedule for a 4 p.m. tip Friday.
The Eagles will be angling for a season sweep after beating Coker in the Deloach Center on Dec. 6, 78-72.
Carson-Newman forced 17 turnovers and outscored Coker 30-14 in points off turnovers en route to the win. Both Matt Bilbrey (Crossville, Tenn.) and Keliese Frye (Newport, Ky.) reset career highs for steals with five apiece. They were the first five-steal days for C-N since Tripp Davis in 2021.
Carson-Newman is squaring off with first-year Coker head coach Nick Pasqua. Pasqua has been around the Southeast Region for a decade with stops at Tusculum, Southern Wesleyan and Converse. Carson-Newman and Chuck Benson are 4-1 all-time against Pasqua. However, Pasqua's Southern Wesleyan Warriors got the better of C-N 80-78 the last time Pasqua visited Holt Fieldhouse.
Since picking up a season-opening win over Ferrum, the Cobras have dropped 18 straight. It's the fourth-longest active losing streak in NCAA Division II behind the three Puerto Rico schools - Mayaguez, Bayamon and Rio Piedras. It's the longest active losing streak amongst NCAA Division II schools in the continental US. Coker has dropped 13 straight SAC games, the second-longest active league skid behind Mansfield's 16-game PSAC losing streak.
Coker picked up a 108-92 win in Holt Fieldhouse last year to spoil C-N's senior day on March 1. That snapped a five-game C-N winning streak in the series. Carson-Newman has won 17 of the last 19 meetings with the Cobras dating back to a 69-63 win in the SAC tournament in 2015. Carson-Newman has 10 double-digit victories in those 17 wins.
Jack Browder enters the contest on 1,803 career points. He is eighth all-time in scoring. The lone player in school history with his jersey retired, Arnold Mellinger is next to catch on the all-time scoring list with 1,826 points. Browder is 23 away from him. Browder is sixth among active NCAA Division II players in career scoring and 20th among all players in all divisions.
With 809 career rebounds, Browder is fourth among active Division II players in career rebounds. Browder, plus Hall of Famers Mike Ogan and Tommy Everette are the only three members of the 1,500/700 club in Carson-Newman history. Browder is the only player in the NCAA era to do that.
Browder is one of three active players in college basketball with 1,800 career points and 800 career rebounds. Carl Cleveland at Young Harris and Gonzaga's Graham Ike are the only others in the NCAA. Browder's 809 rebounds are the fifth-most in school history.
With 35 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 most double-doubles among active NCAA Division II players, even with Young Harris' Carl Cleveland's 35. He has the eighth-most double-doubles amongst players in all divisions. Browder's 10 double-doubles this year lead the SAC.
Browder is the only player in NCAA Division II to lead his league in scoring and rebounding. Browder is also the only player in the country in the top 25 in both scoring and rebounding. Browder is fifth in scoring at 22.6 points per game and 11th in rebounding at 10.2 boards per game.
Tipoff is at 4 p.m. Friday from inside Holt Fieldhouse. Pregame coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available through FloSports at cneagles.com/FloMbb. Fans can also watch the radio crew at work with a feed of press row on YouTube.
Team Stats
Coker
| Game Statistics | Coker | Carson-Newman |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (25-62) | (30-60) |
| Field Goal % | 40.3% | 50.0% |
| Rebounds | 37 | 36 |
| Assists | 14 | 17 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 10 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 20 | 11 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 8 | 3 |
| Pts in the Paint | 28 | 38 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 9 | 11 |
| Bench Pts | 13 | 0 |
