JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman jumped out to a large early lead, kept Newberry at bay throughout most of the second half, and withstood a furious rally in the closing moments on their way to a 112-105 win in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon.

The Wolves (5-10, 1-7 SAC) mounted two comeback attempts in the second half, trimming the deficit to as few as eight points at the 12-minute mark with a 17-7 spurt, but Carson-Newman (10-7, 3-7 SAC) kept the Wolves at arm's length for much of the remainder the game with a barrage of buckets in transition and in the paint.

Luke Gibson was held scoreless in the first half, but the third of his five three-point field goals in the second half came as the clock ticked below six minutes and sparked the final comeback attempt. Gibson's triple trimmed the deficit to 93-80 and keyed a 23-13 run that culminated in the Eagles' lead shrinking to just six points in the final two minutes.

In the end, however, the lead was too great to overcome. Gibson's final bucket cut the lead to four points with 47 seconds on the clock. The Wolves elected to play defense rather than foul. The Eagles drained the shot clock and lifted a three-point attempt from the left wing that clanked off the front iron, but caromed up to the backboard and through the rim.

Marshall Lange was tied up on the next possession with the arrow favoring Carson-Newman, which was able to run out the final eight seconds and escape with the victory.

The Carson-Newman win spoiled a career day for Lange, who established a new career high with 30 points and went 15-for-16 from the free throw line. He also pulled down five rebounds, dished out four assists, and had a block and a steal in 29 minutes of action.

Angelo Sales, Jr. was four points off his career high with 21 points. Tai Giger and Josiah Coatie chipped in 12 points apiece, giving the Wolves five in double figures.

Carson-Newman had six in double figures, paced by 26 points from Grant Teichmann. The Eagles recorded assists on 33 of their 42 field goals and scored 46 points in the paint.

The Eagles shot nearly 58 percent from the field in the first half in building an 18-point advantage at the break, making 12 shots from beyond the arc through the first 20 minutes while holding Newberry to 11 total field goals. The Wolves' 17-for-21 showing at the free throw line kept the game from becoming a runaway at the intermission.

Carson-Newman scored the first seven points of the game, led 19-5 less than six minutes in, and saw its lead swell to as many as 27 points at the 8:45 mark when a triple made the score 43-16.

Newberry closed the first half on a 25-16 run over the final eight-and-a-half minutes, however, to chip away at the Eagles' advantage and keep the margin within reach.

Newberry returns to Tennessee on Monday for a game against Tusculum that was postponed by snow from its original date in December. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m.