By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Talia Barnes scored in the paint and the Catawba’s women’s basketball team had the lead over Carson-Newman.

Unfortunately for Catawba, that advantage was 2-0 and there was a long way to go. Catawba owned the lead for just 10 seconds on Saturday at Goodman Gym.

Carson-Newman responded to Barnes’ opening bucket with seven straight points and was on its way to a 90-57 rout of the Indians in South Atlantic Conference play.

“We were short-handed,” Catawba coach Terrence Baxter said. “That was definitely a rough one.”

The Indians missed athletic freshman Mercedes Wampler, out with a foot injury. Leading scorer and rebounder Taisha DeShazo is in concussion protocol.

“Wampler probably could’ve played, but if you take a chance and play her before she’s 100 percent,  you might lose her for the rest of the year,” Baxter said. “We want her to be able to play next Wednesday at Queens. That’s a game we really need.”

Baxter knew amazing things were going to have to happen for his team to beat Carson-Newman. Catawba would’ve needed more than Wampler. Catawba might have needed Russell Westbrook. When the teams played at Carson-Newman, C-N guard Haris Price shot 16-for-20 and piled up 39 points in a 90-77 victory.

“I think she’s the best player in our league,” Baxter said.

She looked like the best on Saturday. Price doesn’t look menacing at all at 5-foot-3, but her first step is a blur and she converts almost every drive and every free throw. She connected on 10 of her 11 2-point attempts on Saturday and scored a breezy 23 in 28 minutes.

Catawba was still sort of in the game at halftime — down 49-35 — only because guard Madi Hallman enjoyed a fabulous first half with five 3-pointers and 17 points.

But in the second half, Hallman didn’t score, and the Indians’ offense collapsed.

Catawba (12-11, 7-9) didn’t scratch for the first six minutes of the second half — eight straight empty possessions. Emily Phillips finally made a 3-pointer  (Hallman got the assist) to end the drought.

But Kayla Marosites answered immediately with a Carson-Newman 3-pointer, and the Eagles led 56-38.

Catawba scored a paltry four points in the third quarter.

After Price concluded that quarter with a pair of driving layups, it was 66-39, and it was time for the Indians to look forward to Price’s graduation ceremonies this spring and to start start thinking about Wednesday’s trip to Queens.

Shemya Stanback fought for 34 minutes and had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Indians. Elizabeth Webb, Catawba’s only senior, made two 3-pointers and scored 10.

Carson-Newman (19-6, 12-5) shot a torrid 56.3 percent for the game to Catawba’s 30.6 percent.

Catawba also got battered on the boards 46-30 and missed eight of 19 free throws.

CARSON-NEWMAN (90) — Price 23, Smith 17, Byrd 16, Ka. Marosites 11, Wilson 6, Goforth 3, Ke. Marosite 3, Wykle 3, Geer 2, Bean 2, Harville 2, Pearce 2.

CATAWBA (57) — Hallman 17, Stanback 11, Webb 10, Barnes 7, Gardner 5, Garris 4, Phillips 3, Davie, Stevenson.

Carson-Newman     27    22    17   24    — 90

Catawba                   18     17     4    18   —  57