Williams nabs AstroTurf SAC Player of the Week plaudit
January 5, 2015

Williams nabs AstroTurf SAC Player of the Week plaudit

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman forward Sawyer Williams (Owenton, Ky.) has been named the AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday morning.

VIDEO: Sawyer Williams Interview

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman forward Sawyer Williams (Owenton, Ky.) has been named the AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday morning. 

Williams' accolade is his first of his career.  It marks the first time an Eagle not named Ish Sanders or Antoine Davis has been honored by the conference office with a player of the week accolade since J.J. Wesley garnered one on Nov. 30, 2009.  Sanders won four honors in his career, and Davis three. 

"First, I'm very happy for Sawyer," head coach Chuck Benson said. "He's come back this second semester with a different mindset, and that was obvious with his actions on the floor Saturday."

Williams dropped a season-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the Eagles' 81-60 victory over the Wingate Bulldogs Saturday.  Williams also snatched seven rebounds to help C-N outrebounded WU by nine. 

"It's a big accomplishment," Williams said. "It's a nice confidence boost and really helps start the year out right."

The sophomore forward was an integral part of an Eagle defensive effort that limited Wingate to 27.4 percent shooting for the game and 15.6 percent shooting for the first half.  The field goal percentage tally for the first half is the best defensive field goal percentage for Carson-Newman all-time, while the 27.4 percent for the game marks the second lowest figure for an opponent and the lowest figure among SAC and Division II competition since the turn of the century. 

Williams and the rest of the Eagles will be on display Wednesday at Mars Hill's Sanford Arena.  Tipoff between the Eagles and Lions is set for 8 p.m. on the Eagle Sports Network beginning with the Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.