Browder goes bonkers, crests 2,000 points with 46-point outburst in win over MHU
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The curtain call was merited.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
29 | 36 | 65 |
|
|
43 | 37 | 80 |
VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Jack Browder Interview
VIDEO: Aivaras Uosis Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The curtain call was merited.
With 2.7 seconds left, Carson-Newman (18-9, 13-8 South Atlantic Conference) intentionally took a shot-clock violation, giving All-America candidate Jack Browder (Kingsport, Tenn.) the opportunity to exit the floor at Holt Fieldhouse to a thunderous roar of approval.
Browder had just altered the record books with a 46-point night in an 80-65 win over Mars Hill (9-18, 3-18 SAC) Wednesday night. He produced the fourth-highest single-game scoring effort in school history and the ninth-best night in South Atlantic Conference history.
On top of that, he etched his name as the sixth 2,000-point scorer in C-N history and the fifth in SAC history with the performance.
"Ironically, (MHU head coach) KT Carter joked with us pregame that Jack would go for 50 tonight," C-N head coach Chuck Benson said. "Jack is the most complete student-athlete I've ever had the pleasure of coaching in 23 years as a head coach. It's not just the basketball side. It's the academic side. It's the image he helps portray on behalf of our program and our institution. I can never say thank you enough. His loyalty to our institution and our staff is second to none.
"What does he mean to me? Jack Browder will be one of the men to lay me in my final resting place. I want that guy to carry me to that site for a lot of reasons. It's not about the 46, he just means so much."
Browder's 46 came efficiently. He connected on 12-of-20 shots from the field, 5-of-9 threes and 17-of-17 free throws.
"I had to show some love to (MHU head coach and former C-N associate head coach) KT (Carter), I guess," Browder said with a chuckle after scorching his former assistant coach. "I did that with four other guys trusting in me. Right now, it is so evident that we trust one another and are playing confidently. I had the points, but I give them the credit."
The 40-point point night is the eighth all-time in C-N history. He scored 20 points in the first half before dropping 26 after halftime.
Going 17-of-17 at the free throw line broke Tommy Everette's 59-year old school record for the most free throw attempts in a game without missing. Everette connected on 14-of-14 against Georgia Southern on Dec. 9, 1967. Browder's 17-of-17 effort at the stripe is second-best in SAC history. Wingate's Kendall Taylor hit 20-of-20 freebies last season at UVA Wise.
The sixth member of Carson-Newman's 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣-point club, and the fifth in @SAC_Athletics history@JackBrowder3 got there Wednesday night behind an all-time great 46-point night - ��th 40-point night in program history
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) February 26, 2026
��⤵️https://t.co/838mYOteuf@CN_Hoops x #TalonsUp x #GMTE pic.twitter.com/mmWIhbxTqn
Browder entered the night needing 17 to surpass 2,000 career points. He netted that in the first half and then began his assault on the record books. He moved into fifth on C-N's all-time scoring list, bypassing "The Swish Doctor" and the program's first All-American, Chris Jones. He finished the game with 2,029 points for his career and within a night's work of fourth on both the school and SAC all-time scoring lists.
In the game, Browder knocked down his 500th career free throw, becoming the third player in SAC history and the fourth in school history with 500 made free throws. He also roared past Charles Clark and Mike Ogan to reset the program record for free throws made in a season with 209. He is the fifth player in league history to make 200 free throws in a single season.
"The remarkable thing about Jack is how much Jack has come through later in his career," Benson said. "He shared so much, playing with three other 1,000-point scorers. For him to go past 2,000 is a big part of his story. He is an all-time great here. But there's other parts. He is an outrageous rebounder. But it's the breadth of everything else that sets him apart in a league all by himself. The guy could have left here and been a six-figure earner at multiple DI institutions, and he decided to stay here. Jack's a special guy. What he really wants to do is keep playing, and keep playing towards a championship at both the SAC and the national level."
Browder's 46 points are tied for the sixth-most in an NCAA Division II game this season. Only two players, Emmanuel's Devin Story (19-of-19) and Wisconsin-Parkside's Luka Mateski (18-of-18) have made more free throws in a Division II game this season without missing.
Browder headlined an early 16-2 run that put C-N up double-digit with 11:30 to go in the first half. C-N would lead by double-digits for the remainder of the game.
Just @JackBrowder3 things
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) February 26, 2026
4️⃣6️⃣ piece for Junkyard
4️⃣th highest single-game scoring effort in school history. 9️⃣th most in @SAC_Athletics history
Oh, and he became C-N's sixth all-time 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣-point scorer@CN_Hoops x #TalonsUp x #GMTE pic.twitter.com/LrXevEBHqY
Browder scored the first eight points in the stretch himself, jump-starting the surge with an and-one, a lay up and a triple. He capped the burst with his second three of the game to put the Eagles up 25-10. C-N led 43-29 at the halftime break, and got up by as many as 23 in the second half.
C-N built the lead causing chaos. The Eagles forced 13 first-half turnovers from the Lions. That flipped in the second half and MHU stayed within relative striking distance thanks to Eagle miscues. Both teams finished the game with 16 giveaways. C-N outscored MHU 16-15 in points off turnovers.
"We were a little sloppy," Benson said. "Kudos for some of that to Mars Hill. They made it difficult with a lot of traps and scrambles. At the same time, we won the rebound battle. We won the free throw battle and turned them over. They got a little hot in the second half from three as game pressure slipped. It's still a good win and I'm pleased and proud of our guys."
Carson-Newman shot 53.1 percent from the field while limiting the Lions to 40.7 percent shooting. C-N connected on 8-of-20 triples. MHU was 8-of-28 from long range.
C-N owned a narrow 29-27 edge on the glass, but scored points on all six of its offensive boards. The Eagles outscored MHU 12-2 in second-chance points.
Aside from Browder's 46, Matt Bilbrey (Crossville, Tenn.) and Rylan Houck (Oxford, Ala.) joined him in double-figure scoring with 11 and 10, respectively. Bilbrey and Braden Ilic (Morristown, Tenn.) both handed out five assists. C-N handed out 16 assists on 26 made baskets.
Keenan Wilkins led Mars Hill with 20 points. Jonathan Brandtner and Caden Owens finished with 12 and 11, respectively.
The night was dubbed "Play for Ace" with both teams donning warmups bearing the moniker pregame. Those shirts were worn in honor of the three-year-old son of first-year Mars Hill head coach and former Carson-Newman associate head coach KT Carter.
Carter's son Ace was diagnosed before birth with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. In the three years of Ace's life, he has powered through three heart surgeries, survived a cardiac arrest, and spent many days on life support. News came through on New Year's Eve that Ace's heart was failing. He spent 36 days in-patient in a hospital in Charlotte before being placed on a heart transplant list. He will remain in patient at the hospital through his heart transplant.
For more on Ace's story, or to contribute to the Carters' on going medical costs, visit the family's go fund me here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-ace-family-through-his-heart-transplant-journey
"KT is an unbelievably mentally tough person, and an exceptional leader," Benson said. "They have held that thing together since birth. The respect I have for what he has done this year is off the charts. I beg people to consider doing anything they can to help the Carter family. Prayer is powerful, and I would encourage prayer, but I would also encourage giving to their GoFundMe while Ace is in the hospital. They need as much financial support as they can get. He will always be a member of our family."
Carson-Newman has won five straight games and eight of its last nine. The Eagles swept the season series with the Lions for a third straight year.
"We lost a lot from last year," Benson said. "It took awhile for us to get on the same page. These last 12 games, you've seen Bilbrey find his greatness. Rylan and Keliese are stacking multiple high level games. We've shortened things up and found a rhythm late. Credit to our guys, and credit to our staff. Luke and Case have done a really good job of helping manage guys and maintain a level of confidence and understanding. Our players have trusted our staff and consistently followed through on the game plan."
Carson-Newman celebrates senior day and wraps up the regular season Saturday against Lenoir-Rhyne. Tipoff between the Eagles and Bears is set for 4 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mix 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloMbb. Fans can watch the ESN crew broadcast the game with a view of press row on YouTube.
Team Stats
Mars Hill
| Game Statistics | Mars Hill | Carson-Newman |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (22-54) | (26-49) |
| Field Goal % | 40.7% | 53.1% |
| Rebounds | 27 | 29 |
| Assists | 11 | 16 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 16 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 16 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 2 | 12 |
| Pts in the Paint | 28 | 32 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 9 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 17 | 2 |
