SAC Basketball: Catawba 103, Bevard 92: Catawba wins title

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By Bret Strelow

bstrelow@salisburypost.com

BREVARD — Catawba showed off its range and resiliency in a winner-take-all finale.

The Indians faced conference co-leader Brevard at Boshamer Gymnasium on Saturday and clinched an outright SAC title with a 103-92 victory.

Senior guard Rob Fields scored a career-high 32 points in 27 minutes off the bench as Catawba, which went 11-for-12 from 3-point range in the final 14 minutes of the opening half, earned its first regular-season crown since 2007. Fields, Antonio Houston, Donald Rutherford and Donzell Williams were freshmen then.

The Indians (18-9, 11-5) pushed their way to the top in 2010 even though a loss to Lincoln Memorial on Feb. 17 dropped them to 8-5 in league play.

"It's relieving," Fields said. "To have this many opportunities and let them slide was kind of painful, but when you get a chance to redeem yourself, it feels so good."

Catawba has won the last two SAC tournaments, and it will be the top seed when this year's event begins Wednesday. The Indians improved their chances of making a fourth straight NCAA appearance by handling a Brevard team that fell 93-75 in Salisbury on Jan. 13.

Six-foot-8 forward Stephen Coles had 18 points in that contest, and the Tornados (18-9, 10-6) threw a zone defense at Catawba in the rematch.

The Indians went 12-for-17 on 3s to build a 58-44 halftime lead and finished 15-for-22 from long range. Fields and Houston (21 points) each had four 3s in the first half.

"When we played at Catawba, they did a good job of pounding the ball inside," Brevard coach Michael Jones said. "We came out in a zone. They're on the road; we want to force them to make shots in our gym. They came out and did that.

"What really benefited them, you've got upperclassmen, once they started hitting shots, that rim just got bigger and bigger for them."

Catawba missed four of its first five 3-point attempts and took the lead for good when Fields made a 3-pointer for a 15-12 edge with 13:37 remaining in the half.

He banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key 35 seconds later, then was fouled on a 3-point try.

Fields went 10-for-12 from the floor, including 5-for-7 on 3s, and 7-for-7 at the line.

"After you've played in championship games from year to year, you kind of learn to compose yourself," Fields said. "The main core of guys, we knew what to expect, so we came in confident.

"When you're so pumped up and see one going in, they just keep rolling. All our guys were locked and loaded for today."

A sixth consecutive make from 3-point range gave Catawba a 37-25 advantage, and Dominick Reid (18 points) ended the streak by misfiring with 5:27 left in the half.

Houston connected at the five-minute mark, and the Indians hit four more 3s before intermission. Catawba had only three two-point field goals during the 11-for-12 stretch from beyond the arc.

"It felt like I was in the gym shooting by myself," Houston said. "I was picturing that there wasn't anybody in front of me."

During the first-half barrage, Catawba assistant Marvin Moore turned to head coach Jim Baker and said, "This is shades of Mars Hill."

Moore was a Catawba player in 1998 when the Indians made 12 consecutive 3s in the first half of the SAC tournament final at Mars Hill. The Indians, who were playing Wingate, went 21 of 31 on 3s and won 95-74.

Catawba didn't shoot a 3-pointer in the first seven minutes of the second half Saturday. Brevard used a 9-0 run to pull within 70-59 during that time, but Fields quieted the crowd with a pull-up jumper.

The Indians led by at least 11 the entire second half and gave Baker his sixth regular-season title.

"It's all about overcoming," Baker said. "I really believe when you win a championship, you learn to overcome.

"We're close to being a very, very, very good basketball team."

CATAWBA (103) — Fields 32, Houston 21, Reid 18, Williams 8, Coles 7, Rutherford 6, Thomson 4, Martin 3, Huntley 3, Lovelace 1, Shoemaker, Smogner, Drakeford.

BREVARD (92) — Whitmire 22, Whitson 22, Roper 18, Carlisle 18, Dellinger 9, Hudson 2, Schauss 1, Galloway, Tanner.

Catawba 58 45 — 103

Brevard 44 48 — 92