Sanders lauded as SAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week
February 25, 2013

Sanders lauded as SAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Ish Sanders (Cleveland, Tenn.) garnered the fourth SAC player of the week award of his career and his first in his junior season as he became just the third player this season in the South Atlantic Conference to score at least 25 points in back-to-back games.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Ish Sanders (Cleveland, Tenn.) garnered the fourth SAC player of the week award of his career and his first in his junior season as he became just the third player this season in the South Atlantic Conference to score at least 25 points in back-to-back games.

Sanders has scored 25 or more in four consecutive games – something no other player in the SAC has done this season.  He is the only Carson-Newman player this century to have back-to-back 25-point efforts, let alone four in a row. 

"We're happy for Ish," Carson-Newman head men's basketball coach Chuck Benson said. "We felt like at some point this season, he'd get this honor and we're just thrilled for him."

The junior guard got his week started with a 26-point effort against Lincoln Memorial in a loss.  He went 9-of-16 from the field in that contest. 

Sanders then turned around Saturday with a Herculean effort in the Eagles 92-55 win over then first-place Anderson to stay in the hunt for a regular season league championship. 

"His confidence is at an all-time high," Benson said. "I really can't tell you why, other than that when he shoots the basketball, he knows that it's going to go in.  It's really all coming together for him at the right time."

The junior canned 9-of-18 threes – two off the single game record that Sanders set in his freshman season by hitting 11 against Mars Hill – to reset the single season record for made threes with 92.  Sanders finished with a season high 33 points.  His nine threes are also tied for fourth most in SAC history in a single game. 

Calvin Owens (2001-02) was the previous record holder with 86.  Sanders also moved up on the all-time scoring list at C-N.  He now sits in ninth place with 1,325 after moving past Dustin Edwards and Leon Williams and their 1,311 points.

-CN-