Clayton Goes for No. 300 as C-N hosts Maryville in Wednesday Doubleheader
Dec. 2, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY - Wednesday could be a milestone night for men's basketball coach Dale Clayton as Carson-Newman hosts Maryville College for a doubleheader at Holt Fieldhouse.
Clayton will be aiming for career win No. 300 as his Eagles take to the court at 8 p.m. The Carson-Newman women will look to remain undefeated as they square off against the Lady Scots at 6 p.m.
The Eagles are currently 3-3 on the season after splitting a pair of games in the Pioneer Classic at Tusculum over the weekend. Their last outing was a 109-93 win over West Alabama in which they scored 59 points in the first half.
Clayton, in his 21st season at Mossy Creek, isn't getting caught up in the potential of another career milestone.
"I'm trying to avoid being cliché about (reaching 300 wins)," Clayton said before Tuesday's practice. "This would have meant much more last season, because, if I had reached it then, we're in the NCAA Tournament. This year, we're just looking to get back-to-back wins to try and get on a roll."
Carson-Newman is the highest scoring team in the South Atlantic Conference this season, averaging 102.3 points per game. The Eagles have four players averaging double digits in scoring: Joey Cameron (16.8), Jesse McMurray (12.0), Jordan Dixon (10.7), and Darron Maxtion (10.0). Seven Eagles are averaging more than nine points.
"The last three halves of the weekend were good for us," Clayton added of the Eagles 1-1 showing in Greeneville. "We started slow (against GCSC), but were resilient playing on less than a half day of rest."
Maryville College - an area NCAA Division III school - enters the contest 3-2 overall, and is fresh off an 81-64 win over Emory University in the Oglethorpe Classic in Atlanta.
Carson-Newman traveled to Maryville last season and dropped an 87-80 decision to the Scots.
"They're a disciplined team," Clayton said. "They shoot it well, and run the motion efficiently. It's a young, but talented team. Our size should be an advantage and we'll have to use it."
Prior to Clayton's bid for his 300th win, the Lady Eagles will take the court as the lone remaining undefeated team in the SAC.
The Carson-Newman women are 5-0 on the year, equaling their best start since going 7-0 to open the 2004-05 campaign.
The Lady Eagles are fresh off a pair of wins in the X-Trem Shootout at North Georgia University this past weekend, including a 96-73 rout of No. 21 West Georgia.
Like their male counterparts, the Lady Eagles are the highest scoring team in the SAC, averaging 91.4 points per game. Former Jefferson County High School standout Ashley Kyle is third in the SAC in scoring with 16.8 ppg. Shari Buford (12.4), Ashley Tipton (12.2), and Lindsey Eggleston (11.8) are also averaging double figures.
Buford and Eggleston rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in rebounding among conference players with 8.6 and 8.4 boards per game.
Maryville College is 2-3 on the year but demolished Wesleyan College Sunday night 101-35.
Carson-Newman won last year's meeting between the two schools, 61-46.
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