Carson-Newman Game Notes

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles basketball team will begin its 2013-14 exhibition schedule against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Carmichael Arena on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

The Lady Eagles continue a tradition of beginning the season against top-flight Division I competition in exhibition play, as Carson-Newman faces the Tar Heels tomorrow and then play at Tennessee on Nov. 4.

"Always excited to go over and take on UNC," said Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey. "Even though it's an extremely tough opponent, it will be our first competition against an outside opponent and we hope to learn a lot about our basketball team. Those players that step up and compete at that level are the ones that can certainly compete at the Division II level."

Carson-Newman has a strong connection to North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell, who played volleyball and basketball at C-N and is in the Carson-Newman Athletics Hall of Fame. Coach Hatchell was recently diagnosed with leukemia and will not coach against the Lady Eagles, but the Carson-Newman family expresses love and prayers for her as she battles this disease.

"Sad that Coach Hatchell is not going to be in attendance at the game and on the sidelines with us as our teams compete," Mincey said. "Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with her and we hope for a quick and timely recovery for her."

Last season Carson-Newman fell to UNC 106-29 in the first exhibition of the year, with the Tar Heels outscoring the Lady Eagles 52-7 in the first half.

The Lady Eagles return eight players from last year's squad that went 15-11 and finished fifth in the South Atlantic Conference standings.

Sophomore guard Tatum Burstrom (Maryville, Tenn.) returns after a breakout freshman campaign in 2012-13 that landed her All-SAC Freshman Team honors by leading Carson-Newman in scoring with her 11.2 points per game. She also led the team and was second in the league by hitting 37.7 percent of her three-point shots. She scored in double-figures in 14 of Carson-Newman's 25 games. Also returning is starting point guard Jai Jai McLaughlin (Knoxville, Tenn.), and the Lady Eagles added seven newcomers in the 2013 signing class.

The Tar Heels are picked to finish fourth in the 2013-14 Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll, and reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Xylenia McDaniel and freshman guard Diamond DeShields were named to the Preseason All-ACC Team.

Fans can listen to Wednesday's game from Chapel Hill on the Eagle Sports Network's flagship WPFT-FM 106.3 FM, with coverage beginning at 5:45 p.m. with "The Countdown to Tipoff," and the broadcast is also available online at www.cneagles.com.