Journey to Catawba ensues for Lady Eagles
December 15, 2015

Journey to Catawba ensues for Lady Eagles

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman looks to build a winning streak in league play with a trip to Salisbury, N.C. Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Catawba in a South Atlantic Conference contest at Goodman Gym.

Carson-Newman Women's Basketball Game Notes

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman looks to build a winning streak in league play with a trip to Salisbury, N.C. Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Catawba in a South Atlantic Conference contest at Goodman Gym.

"They could have won more games than they have," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "Nonetheless they are 0-3 in conference play. Anytime you go to Catawba it's going to be a difficult game. It's over a three-hour drive."

The Lady Eagles (7-2, 1-2 SAC) have been excellent on the offense end of the floor leading the league in scoring offense (72.7), field goal percentage (42.7) assists (16.2) and three-point percentage (41.4). The accuracy from three-point range ranks ninth at the Division II level this year.

The two programs have played three times in each of the last two seasons as the Indians hold a 37-25 advantage in the all-time series including wins in back-to-back meetings.

Catawba (3-6, 0-3 SAC) bounced Carson-Newman from the SAC Tournament on its home floor on March 4th 79-52. The Lady Eagles shot a season-worst 26.8 percent from the floor in the game.

The Indians have lost six of their last seven contests after beginning the season 2-0 with four of those losses coming by at least 11 points.

Defensively, Catawba is 264th nationally in field goal percentage defense yielding a 43.1 percent mark on the year while conceding 68.3 points per game, 220th in Division II.

The one area offensively that the Indians excel in is free throw percentage ranking 29th in the country with a 76 percent clip while getting to the line 20 times per night.

Catawba is looking to replace perennial All-SAC pick Chloe Bully and Jada Huntley, who scored a career-high 31 points with 14 rebounds and four steals in the last meeting inside of Goodman Gym. Only six players on the roster are averaging more than 14 minutes per game this season.

"This year, they're just different," Mincey said. "They're different without Huntley and Bully. They still have a team that can be anybody in the league. Yes they've struggle but our team knows the type of team they will face Wednesday the last time we were there they trounced us. Johnson and Rogers are no doubt the main players nd we have to make sure other players don't step up to have big games."

It's seemingly been a two person show for Catawba this season as Bri Johnson or Terri Rogers have led the team in scoring in every game this season.

Johnson is second in the league with 18.0 points per game while playing 306 minutes, the most of any player in the conference on the year.

Rogers, the 2014-15 SAC Freshman of the Year, is third in the league this season in field goal percentage making 49.5 percent of her attempts while corralling 7.3 rebounds per night.

Pregame broadcast coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on Mountain Country 106.3 WPFT-FM and on cneagles.com/live with The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off on the Eagle Sports Network.

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