JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After contending with the country's longest winning streak at Lincoln Memorial Wednesday night, Carson-Newman (7-12, 4-9 South Atlantic Conference) will have to contend with the team with the second longest winning streak in the SAC.
Anderson (12-7, 7-6 SAC) has won five of its last six and three straight. The Trojans arrive in Holt Fieldhouse for a 4 p.m. tip Saturday.
"They are playing with an extreme confidence and that's due to the consistency that they've been performing at," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "Another big benefit has been the explosion of Crosby James. He's been otherworldly in his shot making. You add him to Nottingham and Bernard, they're clicking on all cylinders and we'll catch a team that's absolutely white hot, second only to LMU in terms of performances over the last three weeks."
Carson-Newman will be trying to prevent Anderson from sweeping the Eagles for the first time since the 2011-12 season. Carson-Newman had won eight straight over the Trojans prior to Anderson's 75-71 win in the Abney Center on Dec. 7. The 2011-12 season also marks the last time C-N lost at home to AU. Carson-Newman has defended Holt in seven consecutive games over Anderson.
Carson-Newman leads the SAC and is fifth nationally in rebounds per game. The Eagles grabbed 50 boards in the first meeting with Anderson. The Eagles had 18 offensive rebounds, but could only muster six second chance points in their 75-71 loss to the Trojans.
After battling through injuries the first quarter of the season, Tripp Davis has produced 12 consecutive double-digit scoring efforts. Davis is 14th in the SAC in overall scoring but seventh in exclusively league games. Davis is averaging 18.2 a night in SAC contests.
Carson-Newman will pay homage to the 2014-15 team during the game. That rendition of the Eagles defeated then third-ranked LMU 63-48 to win the program's first SAC tournament championship since 2002. That team closed the season with an 11-3 record before losing to No. 24 Montevallo in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Anderson was one of three teams down the stretch to hand that team a loss.
Anderson has won three straight (the second-longest active win streak in the SAC) and five of its last six games. The Trojans have scored at least 80 in all five of those wins while shooting 53.5 percent from the field.
Crosby James has been a star turned for AU. The freshman has tallied four straight double-digit scoring outings and has a trio of 24-point scoring efforts in the Trojans last four contests. He is the reigning SAC Player of the Week
"He is putting strong games together," Benson said. "He's a really good three-point shooter, but he's so fast and quick he can also attack the rim. We know we have to stymie him."
Quin Nottingham is the league's second leading scorer, averaging 20.4 points per game. He has scored in double digits in every game this season. He has 11, 20-point efforts and a pair of 30-point games on the year.
Nottingham and Shawn Benard are the highest scoring tandem in the South Atlantic Conference this season. Benard averages 17.3 a game to combine for 37.7 points per game. The duo combined for 52 points in the team's first meeting in Anderson, S.C. Benard had a career-high 29 and also produced a double-double with 10 rebounds. Nottingham's double-double came with 23 points and 10 boards.
"We have to make sure from a defensive standpoint that we have a scheme that gives us the best chance to thwart them," Benson said. "We struggled at Anderson to know how to finish in winning time. We've improved that and it always helps that we're playing at home."
Tipoff between the Eagles and Trojans is set for 4 p.m. Saturday. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
