Eagles Set to Square Off with Catawba on Wednesday Night
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman men’s basketball team will face one of its most difficult challenges of the season on Wednesday night when defending South Atlantic Conference Tournament champion Catawba visits Mossy Creek.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman men’s
basketball team will face one of its most difficult challenges of
the season on Wednesday night when defending South Atlantic
Conference Tournament champion Catawba visits Mossy Creek.
The Eagles (8-9, 3-4) and Indians (11-7, 4-3) are set to square off
at 8 p.m. in Holt Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast live on
WMTN-AM 1300 out of Morristown.
“This game is big for two reasons,” C-N head coach Dale
Clayton said. “One, it’s a home game in league play and
a chance for us to get to .500 with both of our records. It’s
also a chance to gain some momentum in SAC play. This would be
three wins in four league games for us.”
C-N will attempt to collect back-to-back conference wins for the
first time this season after it defeated Lenoir-Rhyne, 66-61, last
Saturday at Holt Fieldhouse, but accomplishing that task
won’t be easy against Catawba.
The Indians have been a thorn in C-N’s side as they have won
11 out of the last 12 meetings with the Eagles, including both
matchups last season. C-N’s lone win was a 129-123 overtime
victory at home on Jan. 30, 2008.
During the last three seasons, the Eagles-Indians matchup has been
between two of the top scoring teams in the conference with both
squads reaching 100 points or more in four out of the last five
meetings.
While the Indians continue to pile up the points this season as the
third-ranked scoring offense in the SAC (83.1 points per game),
things have been different for C-N. With depth being an issue for
the Eagles, they have turned to their defense to earn wins, ranking
third in the conference in both scoring defense (71.8 ppg.) and
field goal percentage defense (41.7 percent). C-N has held
opponents to less than 70 points in seven out of its eight
wins.
Catawba enters Wednesday’s matchup coming off a 94-88
overtime loss to Newberry last Saturday. Prior to falling to
Newberry, the Indians had reeled off three straight wins over the
conference’s top three teams in Brevard, Mars Hill and
Lincoln Memorial.
A trio of seniors has carried the Indians this season in guards
Antonia Houston and Rob Fields and forward Donald Rutherford.
Houston, a first team All-SAC performer, is sixth in the conference
in scoring with an average of 16.2 points per game. The Charlotte,
N.C., native also averaged 5.2 rebounds per game and leads the team
in steals with 24.
“Since his freshman year, he’s been one of the dominant
players in the league,” Clayton said of Houston.
“He’s just a great player, inside and out.”
Fields, who is also a preseason first team All-SAC selection, is
second on the team in scoring (15.5 ppg.) and assists (50), while
Rutherford is averaging 14.5 points per game, 6.8 rebounds and
leads the team in blocks with 28.
Wednesday will be the 47th meeting between the Eagles and Indians.
Catawba leads the all-time series, 29-17.
Wednesday’s matchup will also be another opportunity to make
an underwear donation that will go to the children of Haiti. All
kids 12 and under will be admitted free with the donation of
underwear sizes 2-14. Collection boxes will be located at the
entrance of Holt Fieldhouse.
