Catawba Wins the SAC Tournament Championship (Photo: thesac)

SAC Regular Season Standings 1. Lenoir-Rhyne 12-4 17-9 2. Newberry 10-6 20-7 2. Catawba 10-6 18-9 2. Tusculum 10-6 18-9 5. Lincoln Memorial 8-8 14-13 5. Wingate 8-8 12-15 7. Mars Hill 7-9 17-10 8. Carson-Newman 4-12 7-20 9. Brevard 3-13 12-15

Catawba College 2008-09

Baker Williams Houston Rose Reid Burns 11 Williams Donzell 6'3'' (191) G 23 Houston Antonio 6'3'' (191) G 33 Rose Issac 6'5'' (196) F 15 Reid Dominick 5'10'' (178) G 55 Burns Cliff 6'8'' (203) C 32 Rutherford Donald 6'4'' (193) F 12 Fields Rob 6'2'' (188) G 4 Sossamon Matthew 6'8'' (203) F 3 Shoemaker Trey 6'0'' (183) G 31 Thomson Stuart 6'6'' (198) G 50 Magnusson Finnur 6'9'' (206) C   Smogner Tomas 6'1'' (185) G 22 Huntley Justin 6'3'' (191) G 42 Adams Earl 6'6'' (198) F 44 Tamer Matt 6'8'' (203) C

In a game that saw six lead changes in the final four minutes, Catawba held off Tusculum to claim the South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Championship with a 63-61 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Multipurpose Facility at Catawba Valley Community College. With the win, the Catawba Indians (21-9) claim the league's automatic bid to the NCAA II South Atlantic Regional Tournament. Tusculum (20-10) will await word on an at-large bid.
The fourth-seeded Indians scored its second straight tournament title, both by two points, and their seventh overall. Dominick Reid (5'10''-G) sank two free throws with nine seconds to play to put Catawba on top 62-61. After a missed shot by the Pioneers, who were seeded third, Cliff Burns (6'8''-C) grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 0.2 seconds left. He added a free throw for the final margin.
Tusculum overcame an eight-point deficit in the final eight minutes and twice took one-point leads in the final minute. Kyle Moore (6'3''-G-87) gave the Pioneers a 58-57 edge on a three-pointer with 49 seconds. Catawba went back on top when tournament MVP Antonio Houston (6'3''-G) grabbed an offense rebound and converted a three-point play with 33 seconds to go, giving Catawba a 60-58 edge. Catawba's Donald Rutherford (6'4''-F) shoots for two of his 16 points against Tusculum in the championship game on Sunday. Wes Taylor (6'6''-F) again gave the Pioneers a lead on a three-point play with 16 seconds remaining. That set up Reid, who sank the winning free throws. Catawba led by six out of the gates at 10-4, but Tusculum would lead much of the half, taking a 24-17 edge with just over two minutes left in the opening stanza. The Pioneers led 26-23 at the half. Catawba surged ahead early in the second half, using an 8-0 run to go ahead 33-30 with 16:20 left. The Indians held the lead until a layup by Moore with 3:31 to go set up the back-and-forth finish. Houston led Catawba with 16 points with Rob Fields (6'2''-G) coming off the bench to add 14. Burns posted a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Moore led all scorers with 18 points for the Pioneers. Josh Bennett (6'7''-F-87) added 11 points.
Neither team shot well. Catawba made just 36.5% with Tusculum hitting on 37%. Catawba held a 40-31 edge on the boards. Tusculum made five turnovers, half as many miscues as the Indians. Reid joined Houston on the all-tournament team for Catawba. Moore and Bennett represented Tusculum on the team. Newberry's Clemente Martin (6'4''-F-86) rounded out the squad.
Courtesy of the sac


Tournament Final: Catawba - Tusculum 63-61
Tournament Semifinals:
Catawba - Lenoir-Rhyne 79-68
Tusculum - Newberry 79-61

SAC All-Tournament MVP: Antonio Houston of Catawba

SAC All-Tournament Team
Antonio Houston of Catawba
Dominick Reid of Catawba
Kyle Moore of Tusculum
Josh Bennett of Tusulum
Clemente Martin of Newberry

All-SAC 1st Team 2008-09

Moore Houston McDowell Whitson Curry

All-SAC 1st Team
Jonathan Whitson (6'7''-F/C) of Brevard
Antonio Houston of Catawba
Elliott McDowell (6'4''-G/F) of Lenoir-Rhyne
Dmario Curry (6'7''-F) of Lincoln Memorial
Clemente Martin of Newberry
Kyle Moore of Tusculum

All-SAC 2nd Team
Rob Fields of Catawba
D.J. Blackmon (6'6''-F/C) of Lenoir-Rhyne
Josh Rudder (6'1''-G) of Lenoir-Rhyne
P.J. Gore (6'3''-G/F) of Mars Hill
Ryan Troutman (6'2''-G-87) of Tusculum
Demario Mattox (6'2''-G-87) of Wingate

SAC All-Freshman Team
Brandon Armstrong (6'1''-G) of Lincoln Memorial
Desmond Johnson (6'5''-F) of Lincoln Memorial
Dallas Johnson (6'2''-G/F) of Mars Hill
Taylor Hobbs (6'4''-G) of Tusculum
Jamie Vaughn (6'0''-G) of Wingate

SAC Player of the Year: Kyle Moore of Tusculum
SAC Freshman of the Year: Desmond Johnson of Lincoln Memorial
SAC Coach of the Year: John Lentz of Lenoir-Rhyne