From staff reports

SALISBURY — It’s not like Catawba’s men’s basketball team played badly on Saturday.

If they’d played badly, the Indians would have been embarrassed. Instead, they were merely beaten soundly by rampaging Carson-Newman, 104-89.

Catawba turned in a solid first half, at least on the offensive end, but the Indians still were down at the break,  49-41, because the visitors were shooting a ridiculous 69 percent.

Things went against the Indians right away with freshman big  man D.J. Johnson getting two personal fouls  on  Carson-Newman’s first two possessions.

Malik Constantine scored 30 points for the Indians (10-14, 6-12)  on 11-for-18 shooting to keep them reasonably close. He got 24 in the second half.

Carson-Newman box-and-oned Catawba’s lone active senior, Jerrin Morrison, from the outset on Senior Day, with Malik Abraham all over him, and held him to 10 points. Morrison made two 3-pointers in the first half, but both came on difficult, contested shots.

Jordan Barber scored 11 and added four assists.

Charles Clark, Carson-Newman’s 2,200-point scorer, seemed to be having just an OK night, but at the end of it, the scorebook revealed he’d scored 28 points. That’s what a great scorer does, and he did more than his share to stop Catawba’s four-game winning streak.

Shaun Jones wiggled and squirmed for 18 inside points for the Eagles (21-5, 13-5), who also topped 100 when they beat Catawba in Jefferson City, Tenn.

Also in double figures for Carson-Newman were snipers Mason Bates (18) and Grant Teichmann (11), Carson-Newman shot 61 percent  from the field for the game.

Catawba was 12-for-37 from 3-point range, while the Eagles were 10-for-20 from bonus range.

Catawba doesn’t get whipped on the glass often, but Carson-Newman had a  44-28 advantage.

Carson-Newman is a third-place team, but that’s only because Queens and Lincoln Memorial, two of the nation’s best, reside in the South Atlantic Conference.

CARSON-NEWMAN (104) — Clark 28, Bates 18, Jones 18, Teichmann 11, Abraham 8, Holmes 8, Murray 7, Role 6.

CATAWBA (89) — Constantine 30, Barber 11, Morrison 10, Jeffers 8, McLaughlin 8, McRae 7, Johnson 7, Phillips 3, Lentz 3, Robinson 2.

Carson-Newman                   49  55    — 104

Catawba                                   41  48    —  89

College baseball

Luke Setzer (East Rowan) had a two-run double, a three-run homer and a bases-loaded walk for six RBIs in Catawba’s 11-3 win against Shippensburg on Saturday.

Clay Young and D.J. Laxton did the job on the mound for the Indians (3-8).

Joe Butts and Cameron Morrison had two hits each.

The teams conclude the non-conference series at Newman Park today.

Catawba softball

A split with Shippensburg early on Saturday was the fourth straight doubleheader Catawba has split this season.

In a 4-3 loss in the first game, Brooke Walser pitched a complete game. Taylor Martin (West Rowan) had two doubles and two RBIs. Jordan Dean drove in a run.

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Dean’s three-run homer helped the Indians win the nightcap, 8-4.

Madison Hunter started on the mound.

Carlee Brawley went 2-for-3 and scored twice.

Prep basketball

On Saturday, pairings and seeds were announced by the NCHSAA for the state playoffs.

The first three rounds will be played on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

There will be some doubleheaders Tuesday at sites where the girls and boys have earned home games.

4A West boys

Davie, seeded 19th, plays at No. 14 Pinecrest in the first round.

Fourth-seeded East Forsyth has a first-round bye.  Reagan is seeded 24th. R.J. Reynolds is seeded 10th.

3A West boys

Cox Mills is the No. 1 seed in the bracket.

Seeded fourth, Carson has the opportunity to play three home games, starting with Tuesday’s matchup against No. 29 McMichael.

West Rowan is seeded 28th and heads to No. 5 Charlotte Catholic on Tuesday.

Statesville is seeded 25th, while South Iredell is seeded 11th.

Northwest Cabarrus has a first-round home game as the No. 14 seed. Robinson (No. 18) and Concord (No. 23) will travel in the first round.

2A West boys

In 2A, four Central Carolina Conference teams are in the bracket.

Seeded No. 4, Salisbury will host No. 29 Bunker Hill on Tuesday and is in position to play three home games.

No. 16 Thomasville got a home game, while No. 28 North Davidson and No. 19 Lexington will travel.

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1A West boys

In the 1A ranks, the three strong Yadkin Valley Conference teams are in the bracket.

Seeded 11th, North Rowan hosts No. 22 Mitchell in the first round at 6 p.m.

No. 5 North Stanly has a first-round bye.

Albemarle, seeded 15th, has a home game in the first round.

4A West girls

CPC schools West Forsyth (No. 4) and Reagan (No. 8) got first-round byes.

East Forsyth is seeded 23rd and is on the road.

Seeded fifth, Hickory Ridge has a first-round bye.

3A West girls

Seeded 10th, Carson’s girls play at home against No. 23 Mount Tabor in the first round.

Seeded 19th, West Rowan plays at Monroe Parkwood.

North Iredell, seeded fourth, is home against No. 29 Hunter Huss.

The Cox Mill girls made the bracket despite a 10-14 record. They are seeded 32nd and play at undefeated Gastonia Ashbrook.

Central Cabarrus’ girls are seeded 17th and will be on the road.

Statesville (No. 24) and Northwest Cabarrus (No. 30) are on the road. Robinson (No. 7) will be at home.

2A West girls

The top four Central Carolina Conference girls teams are in the bracket.

Seeded 13th, Salisbury plays Tuesday against 20th-ranked North Surry.

No. 5 East Davidson hosts No. 28 Ashe County.

No. 19 South Rowan plays at No. 14 Maiden. No. 18 Ledford is  at No. 15 Draughn.

1A West girls

Gray Stone, seeded seventh, has a first-round bye.

Albemarle, seeded 13th, has a first-round home game against No. 20 Hayeville.

See the Scoreboard for all West pairings.