VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (7-1, 1-1 South Atlantic Conference) will look to wash the taste of its first loss of the season from its mouth with a second straight trip to South Carolina to take on Anderson (2-6, 0-1 SAC) Wednesday night at 8.
The Eagles lost for the first time this season on Saturday, 75-70 at Newberry.
"We've got to control our controllables first and foremost," head coach Chuck Benson said. "That goes back to the individuals in our program. We have to look at what occurred in our last outing and make the necessary changes to travel and show well."
Carson-Newman was held to season lows for points (70), field goal percentage (46.9) and points in the paint (26) in its 75-70 loss at Newberry on Saturday
The Eagles' loss to Newberry halted Carson-Newman's seven-game winning streak to start the year. The Eagles' 7-0 start matched the 1973-74 team for the second best start in school history.
The Eagles will be aiming for their fifth consecutive victory over Anderson (the longest potential winning streak in the series' history) and just their fourth in the series' history at the Abney Center.
Carson-Newman has already logged two games in the Abney Center. The Eagles' opened the year up at the Anderson-hosted conference challenge, downing Lander 82-78 and Southern Wesleyan 88-65 in the facility.
C-N is shooting 57 percent from the field inside the venue this year, including 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Carson-Newman still leads all Division II in offensive efficiency, shooting 55.6 percent from the field. The Eagles are number three among all divisions. DIII Transylvania and St. John's are shooting 60.0 and 55.8 percent from the field, respectively.
Anderson has been a bit of a curiosity this season. The Trojans seem to better than a 2-6 record with a trio of three-point losses to their names this year. One of those was a 48-45 setback to Erskine. The 48 points allowed at Erskine were the fewest since surrendering just 47 points in a 110-47 win over Johnson and Wales on Dec. 12, 2011. The 45 points scored by AU was the fewest since joining the SAC in 2010-11. The Trojans scored 52 points in a 61-52 setback to Lincoln Memorial on Feb. 16, 2013.
This is Anderson's first home game in more than two weeks. The Trojans haven't been at the Abney Center since Nov. 21 and an 88-85 setback to USC Aiken.
"They are the scariest 2-6 team in the history of the game of basketball to me," Benson said. "They are a team that could real off 10 straight wins and I wouldn't be surprised. They have the talent, they have the offensive and defensive packages to be a team that puts it together."
The Trojans are led by preseason All-SAC first teamer Randall Shaw. Shaw is third in the league in scoring, averaging 19.9 points per game on 47 percent shooting, and 38 percent shooting from three-point range.
"He's an elite player and has been elite since his freshman year," Benson said. "We've got a plan. We just have to execute it with purpose if we're going to try to limit his overall efficiency. He has weapons to use around even if he's not. So it'll be a good challenge."
Shaw has a trio of 20-point efforts to his name this season; however, they've all been in losses. He dropped 32 in an 80-71 loss in the Abney Center to Limestone.
Shaw is far from the Trojans only option. Palm Beach Atlantic transfer Gage Ellis adds 13.6 points per game on an efficient 49 percent clip, while Jeremy Bouton is averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 boards a game.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Trojans is set for 8 p.m. Pregame coverage starts at 7:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
