JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – With five games to play in the regular season, Carson-Newman is one game behind first-place teams Anderson and Catawba hosting the latter at Holt Fieldhouse on Saturday at 2 p.m. looking to make up ground in the South Atlantic Conference standings.
Senior guard Kayla Marosites (Elizabethton, Tenn.) is 15 rebounds shy of becoming the fifth player in program history to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds ranking 12th in scoring and fifth in rebounding on the program's list. The two-time All-SAC pick is third among active Division II players in double-doubles with 52, seventh in all divisions, and rebounding average at 11.2 and sixth in total boards.
In the 70th all-time meeting with Catawba (19-3, 14-3), Mincey's squad looks to continue its seven-game winning streak, the longest for the school in the history of the series. The Indians lead 37-32 but C-N is 19-12 at Holt Fieldhouse. The Indians last won a game against the Orange and Blue on Feb. 6, 2016, an 82-78 decision in the Volunteer State.
When the two clubs squared off at Goodman Gym on Jan. 4, Catawba led for 28:06, the second-longest C-N has trailed in a game this season behind the 36:02 against Anderson in the double overtime loss on Feb. 1. The largest lead for either team was six points by the home crew. Prior to that game, the Indians had led for 23:44 of the previous six meetings.
Kelci Marosites (Elizabethton, Tenn.) tied the game at the end of regulation at the free-throw line and Kayla Marosites blocked a shot and hit the game-winning foul shot in overtime to win 69-68 as Catawba's last shot did not beat the buzzer to hand the club its first loss in 11 tries.
"If you go back to our game at their place, both teams pressed and it was a very physical game," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "Both teams played a lot of people. It was low scoring. It was a very nerve-wracking game because both teams were playing very physical. We just happened to come out with a one-point victory. They are playing well. They play a lot of people. They are turning people over.
"For us we need to be able to take care of the basketball. When we take care of the ball and get good shots. If we can get shots off, we will be more successful than if we turn the ball over."
The Lady Eagles turned the ball over a season-high 26 times but posted more points off of turnovers, 18-16. Ranking second in the country in made three-pointers, C-N made, five, and attempted, 14, its lowest figures of the season.
Catawba has won three regular-season championships but has not done so since the 2003-04 season when it won three out of four years falling a game shy to Mars Hill in 2001-02. The Indians travel to Anderson on Feb. 26 where they would have a chance to avenge a Jan. 22 loss.
"They are still turning people over," Mincey said. "It's not about offense or shooting percentage. It's strictly with their pressing style and defense. They aren't allowing people to score a lot of points. It's not usually by a huge margin but the name of the game is getting the 'W'. They are certainly getting those W's. With Anderson's loss at Wingate, they control their own destiny to win the league."
The Indians have won nine of their last 11 games since falling to the Orange and Blue on Jan. 4, but they did suffer back-to-back losses at Newberry and UVa-Wise. Since then the team has rebounded to win three straight games by double figures.
After shooting above 40 percent in seven of the first eight games of the year, Catawba has shot below 40 percent in 12 of its last 14 games totaling a 35-percent clip from the field and a 28-percent mark from long range. However, the team has had double-digit offensive rebounds in every game including five with 20 or more.
As a team, the club forces the third-most turnovers in the country at 25 while ranking 11th in offensive rebounds per game with 17. Catawba shoots the 11th-most foul shots in the country with 542 but is 10th in the league and 259th in America in percentage at 65 percent.
Eleven different players have played in at least 21 of the team's 22 contests on the year. That depth has been needed with the team committing the fourth-most fouls in the country at nearly 23 per night. There have only been four occasions with fewer than 20 in a game.
Taisha DeShazo is the team's only player averaging double figures on the year ranking seventh in the conference at 14.1 points per game. She had 16 points, six boards and four steals in the first meeting but went 5-for-18 from the field. She has been held under her scoring average in seven of the last eight outings.
Tune into the broadcast on the Eagle Sports Network starting at 1:45 for "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off" on 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) with audio and video streams available on cneagles.com/live free of charge.
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