Eagles look to bounce back versus Catawba
January 26, 2013

Eagles look to bounce back versus Catawba

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman (11-4, 4-3 SAC) looks to rebound after a couple of firsts when it takes on Catawba (5-10, 2-5 SAC) Saturday at Holt Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. For one, the Eagles lost their first home game of the season Wednesday against Lincoln Memorial. For two, the Eagles lost back-to-back games for the first time since dropping two in a row to Anderson and Wingate to close the 2011-2012 season. Carson-Newman will have to contend with two talented posts in the Indians Lee Martin and Tyrece Little.

Carson-Newman game notes attached

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.  -  Carson-Newman (11-4, 4-3 SAC) looks to rebound after a couple of firsts when it takes on Catawba (5-10, 2-5 SAC) Saturday at Holt Fieldhouse at 4 p.m.  For one, the Eagles lost their first home game of the season Wednesday against Lincoln Memorial.  For two, the Eagles lost back-to-back games for the first time since dropping two in a row to Anderson and Wingate to close the 2011-2012 season. 

Carson-Newman will have to contend with two talented posts in the Indians Lee Martin and Tyrece Little. Little averages 15 points and nearly eight rebounds a contest while Martin contributes 12.9 points and 7.1 boards a game. 

Those players as well as guard Elon Edwards and his 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists make Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson think that Catawba has the horses to run with anyone in the South Atlantic Conference.

"They're a very dangerous team offensively because they have multiple three-point shooters and athletic big men inside," Benson said. "It'll be a challenge because they can put points on the board in a hurry."

Carson-Newman swept the series with the Indians last season with a 73-69 win on the road and a 74-66 win inside Holt Fieldhouse. 

The Eagles enter off a season low 35 percent shooting effort against Lincoln Memorial.  C-N had shot below 45 percent in three halves of basketball coming into the game against LMU.  The Railsplitters kept the Eagles below 40 percent in both halves. 

"I know Saturday can't get here quick enough," Benson said. "Those two losses are tough to swallow.  We're just looking to move forward and learn from those processes and experiences."

The Eagles shot better than 45 percent in both of the wins last season with Catawba.  Antoine Davis (Rustburg, Va.) and Ish Sanders (Cleveland, Tenn.) continue to lead Carson-Newman with 18.9 and 18.7 points per game, respectively. 

Carson-Newman will pay tribute to the six coaches who guided the program to 1,000 wins during a ceremony between the men's and women's games.  The Eagles will also hang a banner honoring C-N hall of famer Arnold Mellinger as the only Eagle basketball player to have has number retired. 

Coverage for the game starts at 3:45 p.m. on the Coca-Cola Eagle Sports Network with the Farm Bureau Countdown to Tipoff on 106.3 ESPN Radio the Zone (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com.

-CN-

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