JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Coker College men's basketball team traveled to Carson-Newman on Saturday (Dec. 9) afternoon and fell to the Eagles in South Atlantic Conference action.
After Carson-Newman tallied the first bucket of the game, the Cobras gained their first lead of the contest with a 7-0 run with a Demarco Jackson jumper, Khalil Halls layup, and Donte Samuels three ball.
Minutes later, the Navy and Gold strung together an 8-2 run and took a 21-14 lead, thanks to three-pointers from Jake Barrett and Jackson. Nathan Lemke capped off the run with a jumper for the seven-point advantage.
The Eagles battled back for the remainder of the first half and took a 53-46 lead over the Cobras heading into the locker rooms.
The second half of play began with the Eagles slowly creating more separation from the Cobras. Trailing by 13 with ten minutes remaining, the Cobras strung together seven consecutive points from two made free throws by Marquis Green, a three-pointer from Jackson, and a Dakota Jennings dunk to trail by just seven. However, the comeback would fall short as the Eagles finished strong down the stretch.
Samuels led the way for the Navy and Gold, recording 17 points off 8-14 shooting and adding a team-best six rebounds. Barrett chipped in 16 points and added four assists, while Halls finished with 14 points and two assists.
The Cobras will be back in action on Wednesday (Dec. 13) when they travel to Tusculum to take on the Pioneers in a South Atlantic Conference game. Opening tip is set for 8 p.m.