JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Anderson University took the first lead of the game on a three-pointer from Alissa Diaz, but never could again. The Carson-Newman College women's basketball team controlled the game from the opening whistle, defeating the Trojans 60-42 in a South Atlantic Conference match up at Hold Fieldhouse.
The win gives the Lady Eagles a 9-7 record on the season and a 3-5 mark in the SAC. Anderson is also 3-5 in the conference and 6-10 overall.
The Lady Eagles, three days after allowing 87 points to Mars Hill, held the Trojans to a season-low in points allowed with 42.
Carson-Newman was bolstered by a double-double from sophomore forward Shannon Depew (Newport, Tenn.). Depew put in 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while adding a block, a steal and an assist. The Lady Eagles put two other players in double figures. Senior forward Zoriah Williams (Calera, Ala.) scored 13 points while knocking down seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Rechelle Dye (Greeneville, Tenn.) scored 13 points, with four assists and four steals.
"We won the basketball game on the defensive end," C-N head coach Mike Mincey said. "We limited turnovers, shot the ball well, rebounded well. And we played hard, we tried to simplify things a little but and it seemed to speed us up and improve our intensity. I was really happy to see Shannon Depew come out and produce. She needed a good game and got one with a double-double."
C-N pulled away in the first half thanks to a penetrating offense that dominated the paint. Nearly half of Carson-Newman's points came off quick, interior passes to Williams, Depew and senior forward Nikki James (Cookeville, Tenn.). C-N hit just five three-pointers in the game, with Dye going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. The Lady Eagles shot 50 percent in the first half.
And 18-9 run at to end the first half put the Lady Eagles up 12 points at the halftime buzzer. Anderson's Jaclyn Moore was able to hit a jump shot with 23 seconds left in the half to cut C-N's lead to 35-23.
The Trojans sliced Carson-Newman's lead to six points at the 16-minute mark in the second half. Four straight points from Williams helped push C-N's lead back to eight before the defenses took over for over three minutes with neither team scoring a basket. The drought ended with a free throw shot from Lundyn Howard (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and the Lady Eagles never led by single digits again.
Anderson's Amanda Parris led all scorers with 14 points. Alissa Diaz scored 10.
