VIDEO: Chuck Benson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (5-6, 2-3 South Atlantic Conference) starts off the new year with a jaunt through the gorge to take on Catawba (9-2, 4-1 SAC) inside Goodman Gym Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Indians are one of the hottest teams in the region. Catawba's won five straight, and haven't lost since dropping a 91-84 two-overtime thriller to Newberry on Nov. 26. The Indians only two losses on the year have been in overtime. They also dropped an OT contest to open the year at a neutral site against UNC Pembroke 95-90.
The Indians have a fast pace of play that produces points by the bunches. Catawba has been held below 80 just once, in a 75-71 win over Catawba. Catawba averages 90.2 ppg, a figure that is 16th nationally, but third in the SAC behind Lincoln Memorial and C-N.
"They have veteran status and a lot of old guys who are good on both sides of the ball," Benson said. "I know they are motivated and hungry to get back to the NCAA tournament. We have nothing but respect for the way that things have panned out for Catawba and coach Rob Perron. We need to figure out a way to win games against this caliber of team."
Catawba is going for its third straight victory over the Eagles. Catawba hasn't won three consecutive against Carson-Newman since a series-long seven-game winning streak from 2007-11. A Chuck Benson-coached Carson-Newman team has not lost three straight to the Indians.
"I've liked our guys attitude coming back from break," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "Practice has been good. I think we've come to a better understanding of each other and continue to grow. I like where we are as we come into the second half of this thing."
Carson-Newman is among the nation's elite in rebounding this season. The Eagles have seized at least 40 boards in all but two games this year and have outrebounded their last five foes by 10.6 boards per game. C-N is third nationally in rebounds per game, averaging 44.5 per contest. The Eagles also pull down 15.45 offensive rebounds per contest, a total that is seventh in the nation. Catawba sits in third in the SAC and top 20 nationally in most rebounding categories.
EJ Bush has been a double-double machine for the Eagles in their first 10 games. Bush leads the South Atlantic Conference with four double-doubles on the year.
Despite a .500 record, the Eagles have the second largest margin of victory on average in the South Atlantic Conference at 8.2 points per game. Five of Carson-Newman's six losses on the year have come by nine points or less, and four by less than five. In those defeats, C-N has shot 57 percent from the free thow line. Compare that to the Eagles' five wins when Carson-Newman has knocked down 70 percent of its free throws.
Carson-Newman is looking for its first road win since March 2, 2019 when the Eagles took an 89-78 win over the Newberry Wolves in Eleazer Arena. C-N has won twice in the last eight years at Catawba's Goodman Gym, last doing so in 2018
No one in the South Atlantic Conference is better at getting to the free throw line. Catawba has attempted 307 free throws in 11 games for an average of 27.9 attempts per game. That figure is eighth nationally. With 228 made free throws, the Indians have made the second most freebies in the SAC. Devin Cooper gets to the line better than anyone in the SAC with 96 free throw attempts. He's made as many as Mars Hill's Ja'Shawn Brooks at 76.
Tipoff between the Eagles and Catawba is set for 4:00 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.
