Carson-Newman’s Ishmael Sanders Sets Conference Record With 51 Points Against Mars Hill
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - One game after honoring former Eagle great Chris Jones, freshman guard Ishmael Sanders (Cleveland, Tenn.) broke Jones' school scoring record by firing in a South Atlantic Conference record 51 points and connecting on a school record 11 3-pointers to lead the Carson-Newman men's basketball team to a 106-86 victory over Mars Hill on Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse.
Sanders was 17-of-29 from the floor, including 11-of-23 from behind the arc, on his record setting night. The 23 3-point attempts were also a SAC record.
The 51 points broke the previous C-N record of 44 points held by Jones and Mike Ogan. Jones, who had 44 points in 1961, was a two-time All-American. Ogan was a dominant post and All-American in 1974. Sanders also becomes the first-ever player in SAC history to score 50 or more points. The previous conference record was 49 points held by Ali Travis of Catawba.
With the victory, the Eagles improve to 11-12 on the season and 8-7 in the conference. Mars Hill drops to 9-14 overall and 6-9 in SAC play.
As a team, C-N shot 52.8 percent (38-of-72) from the floor, including 18-of-40 from behind the arc. The Lions scored at a 45.3 percent clip (29-of-64) and were 7-of-17 from 3-point range. Mars Hill held a 39-35 advantage in rebounds.
Kevin Leatherwood (Charlottesville, Va.) pitched in 11 points
for the Eagles, while Kevin Hare (Lexington, S.C.) added 10 points.
Junior guard Bradley Tumer (Mt. Dora, Fla.) added nine points and
dished out a school record 14 assists, falling one shy of tying the
SAC record.
Dion Malachi (Shelby, N.C.) paced Mars Hill with 16 points, while Sammy Emile (Lake Worth, Fla.) added 14 points. Julian Mack (Morganton, N.C.) and Dallas Johnson (Auburndale, Fla.) each had 10 points in the loss.
The teams played to a 9-9 tie early on, but Sanders' first 3-pointer of the night at the 15:03 mark gave C-N the lead for good at 12-9. Sanders went on to score 22 points in the first half, as the Eagles took a 55-40 lead into the locker room.
The Eagles took control of the game in the second half and pushed their lead to as many as 21 points. Sanders sank a free throw with 1:42 remaining to break C-N's scoring record. He then drained two 3-pointers down the stretch to set the SAC scoring record.