JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman College women's basketball team fought back from 17 points down, but couldn't do enough to catch Lenoir-Rhyne, falling 80-69 in a South Atlantic Conference match-up at Hold Fieldhouse Saturday night.
The Lady Eagles fall to 8-4 on the season and 2-2 in the SAC. Lenoir Rhyne moves to 11-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference.
C-N put three players in double figures in the comeback attempt. Senior forward Zoriah Williams (Calera, Ala.) and sophomore forward Shannon Depew (Newport, Tenn.) each posted a double-double, with Williams accounting for 16 points and 11 rebounds and Depew knocking in 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Rechelle Dye (Greeneville, Tenn.) finished with 10 points and was 6-of-7 from the free throw line.
The Lady Bears also had three players in double figures. Whitley Culler scored 18 points, Cameron Sealey had 16 and Krystal Patton poured in 10 points off the bench.
Neither team was effective from three-point range, though L-R, playing ahead from the opening whistle, attempted just 11 from beyond the arc in the game. The Lady Eagles shot just 16.7 percent from three-point territory, hitting only six out of 27 attempts.
Lenoir-Rhyne surged ahead from the opening whistle, taking a 19-5 lead in a little over seven minutes. Two straight layups from Williams and a jumper from Depew helped the Lady Eagles stop the surge, but the Lady Bears continued to pour it on.
"We had a 7-8 minute spurt there to begin the game and got down 22-7, but we fought back," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "The thing is you just can't dig that kind of hole against a good team like Lenoir-Rhyne."
It was the offense that starred for L-R. The Lady Bears did not block a single shot, recorded only 10 steals and tied Carson-Newman in rebounds (41-41) and turnovers (22-22). Lenoir-Rhyne had the advantage with points off the bench 24-19. Senior Lundyn Howard (Chattanooga, Tenn.) led the Lady Eagles bench contingent with nine points and four assists.
"I felt like we were ready to play, but like I told the team in the locker room, you have to go out there and make things happen," Mincey said. "L-R just put it too us early. They made their shots and we certainly couldn't make anything. It's really disappointing."
After falling behind by 16 points at the half, Carson-Newman began slowly cutting into L-R's lead as the second half opened. A three-pointer from junior forward Whitney Moody (Blountville, Tenn.) cut the Lady Bears' lead to 10 a little over three minutes into the second period.
The Lady Eagles couldn't build on it, again watching Lenoir-Rhyne stretch the lead back to 17 just two minutes later. A 7-0 run from the Lady Eagles, led by Depew, Williams and junior forward Courdne Miles (Burlington, N.C.) got L-R's lead back down to 10.
Howard broke free for a layup that put the Lady Eagles within eight points with 11 minutes to go in the game. C-N could get no closer and again watched Lenoir-Rhyne push its lead back to 17, before holding on to the 11-point victory.
The Lady Eagles will next see action Wednesday, Jan. 11. when they travel to Pioneer Arena in Greeneville, Tenn. to take on Tusculum at 6 p.m. Carson-Newman returns to Holt Fieldhouse on Jan. 18 to face Mars Hill.
