Carson-Newman, Catawba collide Saturday in Holt
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (14-9, 11-8 South Atlantic Conference) and Catawba (9-11, 8-10 SAC) have both lost back-to-back games, but will be looking to right the proverbial ship with five league games left when the teams collide Saturday at 4 p.m. in Holt Fieldhouse.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
22 | 42 | 64 |
|
|
27 | 41 | 68 |
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (14-9, 11-8 South Atlantic Conference) and Catawba (9-11, 8-10 SAC) have both lost back-to-back games, but will be looking to right the proverbial ship with five league games left when the teams collide Saturday at 4 p.m. in Holt Fieldhouse.
Carson-Newman is looking for a fourth straight win over Catawba. The Eagles have never won four consecutive games over the Indians in the 70 previous meetings in the series.
Carson-Newman has won in Holt against Catawba in eight of the last 10 meetings in Jefferson City.
"They are one of the most talented rosters in this league," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "They have a lot of depth and they are hungry. As we move through February, every team has their own agenda, and they are trying to solidify their position in the top eight for the conference tournament."
Carson-Newman sits in fifth in the league standings, 2.5 games back of fourth place and a first-round home game in the league tournament. Catawba has a 1.5-game lead on Limestone and Lenoir-Rhyne who sit tied for eighth in the standings.
Luke Brenegan has been dynamite against the Indians in the Eagles previous three wins. Brenegan is averaging 24.33 points per game against Catawba while shooting 13-of-20 from three (65 percent). Brenegan cools off when he shoots from two against the Indians, he's just 20-of-35 when factoring in shots inside the arc (57 percent). Brenegan has made 20 consecutive free throws against Catawba.
Bryant Thomas is once again among the best in the nation at rejecting shots. He is 12th nationally with 49 blocks and 16th in the country with 2.23 re-directs per game. Thomas is the league leader in both categories.
Carson-Newman has the country's 20th best shot-blocking team with 94 total rejections. The Eagles lead the league for the category. Carson-Newman's 10-rejection day against Newberry is one of 32 double-digit rejection days in Division II this year.
Tripp Davis is fifth in the country in total steals with 56 and seventh in steals per game with 2.67. Davis is in the top 15 for steals in a single season at Carson-Newman. His next steal will move him into a tie with Charles Clark for the sixth most in a single-season in program history. Davis has 146 steals for his career, He moved past Braun Dabbs with a six-steal day against Wingate and now has sole possession of sixth on the career steal chart. He needs two more to catch Andrew Johnson (2005-09) for fifth and his 148 steals.
Catawba is paced by the South Atlantic Conference's leading scorer Caleb Robinson. Robinson's 19.4 points per game are good for 56th most in the country. Robinson has scored double-digits in all but two games for the Indians.
"They haven't changed how they attack," Benson said. "He is so aggressive early in the clock. He's big, athletic and physical. He leads the league in scoring, but they have so many other guys who can hurt you."
Robinson's topped 20 or more on eight occasions, including a 42-point outburst in the Indians' 101-97 two-OT win at Limestone.
A 50.2 percent shooter, Robinson had shot better than 40 percent in every game this season before the Eagles held him to a 6-of-18 effort on Jan. 12.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Indians is set for 4 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
Team Stats
Catawba
| Game Statistics | Catawba | Carson-Newman |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-71) | (23-57) |
| Field Goal % | 38.0% | 40.4% |
| Rebounds | 36 | 43 |
| Assists | 14 | 16 |
| Turnovers | 8 | 14 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 11 | 4 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 13 | 13 |
| Pts in the Paint | 38 | 30 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 9 | 17 |
| Bench Pts | 8 | 16 |
