League-leading Anderson invades Mossy Creek
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Anderson, one of the three remaining teams with an undefeated South Atlantic Conference record, ventures to Holt Fieldhouse on Saturday at 2 p.m. to face a Carson-Newman team looking to win back-to-back home games for the first time since the end of the 2020-21 regular season.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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21 | 20 | 12 | 15 | 68 |
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13 | 16 | 28 | 13 | 70 |
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Anderson, one of the three remaining teams with an undefeated South Atlantic Conference record, ventures to Holt Fieldhouse on Saturday at 2 p.m. to face a Carson-Newman team looking to win back-to-back home games for the first time since the end of the 2020-21 regular season.
"They are big as usual," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "I think they have had some players hurt but I think they have them back now. They are always a tough challenge especially with the size. They are probably the biggest team in the league in terms of what they put on the floor. It will be a challenge as always."
The Lady Eagles are one of the five teams in the country to rank in the top 30 nationally in both blocks per game and steals per contest. Carson-Newman (5-2, 3-1) is 10th in the country with 5.6 blocks and 27th with a dozen pilfers per contest. In the win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday, the Lady Eagles tallied 15 steals and 12 blocks, the first time that club had double digits in each area since have 12 and 13 respectively in a win over Wingate on Jan. 23, 2021.
Saturday's matchup pits the winners of six of the last seven SAC regular-season championships dating back to 2014-15. Lincoln Memorial in 2016-17 is the only other school to hold in the trophy over that period. Over the last five years the two programs are the best two teams in the league with C-N holding a 115-34 overall record and an 84-21 mark in SAC action versus Anderson's 112-38 and 84-23 tally.
When the programs tangle on Saturday it will be the 28th meeting in the series with the Orange and Blue holding a 15-12 edge including a 10-5 advantage at Holt Fieldhouse. The Lady Eagles have won back-to-back meetings and are looking to hit a three-game winning streak for the fourth time in the series to match the longest for the program.
Anderson (5-2, 5-0) lost to Flagler and Clayton State to begin the season but have won five in a row including the last four by double digits. The combined conference record of those five teams is 5-17 with only UVA Wise's 3-2 mark having a .500 or better record.
Coach Jonathon Barbaree's team is second in the country on the glass with 50 rebounds per game outrebounding clubs by an average of 11 per night. The unit has had no fewer than 42 boards in an outing with five of at least 50 including four in a row. The Trojans are the best offensive rebounding team in the league with nearly 18 going against a C-N team that is 12th with 25 defensive boards per night.
Britney Bailey is one of three individuals to rank in the top 11 of the conference in rebounding pacing the SAC and ranking 12th nationally with a dozen per night. The forward has been in double figures in all but one contest this year yanking down over four on average on the offensive end. She is averaging nine points per game but is shooting 41 percent from the field.
Two areas where the program has struggled is three-point shooting and turnovers. In six of the seven games, Anderson has made four or fewer three-pointers converting at a 22 percent clip, the lowest rate in the league and 27th-worst in the country. With 18 turnovers per game, the team is seventh in the area with two outings of at least 20.
Three players are scoring in double figures for a team that is seventh in the conference with 64 points per game. Shameka McNeill paced the team with 16 points per game in four outings. The Virginia Union transfer has at least 10 points in every game but has taken 77 shots to score 65 points.
Tune into the broadcast on the Eagle Sports Network starting at 1:45 p.m. for "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off" on Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) with audio and video streams available on cneagles.com/live free of charge.
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Team Stats
Anderson (S.C.)
| Game Statistics | Anderson (S.C.) | RV Carson-Newman |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (22-71) | (23-61) |
| Field Goal % | 31.0% | 37.7% |
| Rebounds | 54 | 42 |
| Assists | 13 | 13 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 14 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 14 | 12 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 28 | 12 |
| Pts in the Paint | 22 | 36 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 6 | 7 |
| Bench Pts | 20 | 11 |
