Carson-Newman Women's Basketball Game Notes
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman is seeking a third-straight win at Eleazer Arena Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. when the Lady Eagles travel to the Palmetto State to take on Newberry.
Carson-Newman (13-4, 7-4 South Atlantic Conference) has won six of its last seven games and is coming off of a road victory at 11th-ranked Anderson (S.C.) snapping the Trojans' 26-game SAC winning streak.
The Lady Eagles topped No. 6 Columbus State on Nov. 21 and turned around to lose by two points at Lincoln Memorial. C-N is looking to avoid a letdown on Sunday.
"For us it's a different year," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "We started the year 0-2 in conference play and 1-3 and now we've gone 6-1 since that point. It's a little bit different this year where our kids are still hungry. In years past, at least the last two years, we've been up in the standings and trying to hold onto it. This year it's a little bit different where we had to fight our way back."
Newberry (9-8, 8-3 SAC) snapped a three-game losing streak to Carson-Newman in the series with a 73-69 comeback victory at Holt Fieldhouse on Dec. 5, 2015. Newberry took its first lead of the day with 4:27 to play during an 11-1 run. The Lady Eagles hold the series advantage 28-19.
Carson-Newman has won the last two regular season meetings between the two sides at Eleazer Arena with its last loss on Newberry's home floor coming on Feb. 16, 2013 75-66.
Newberry has won four of its last five games but dropped a 62-55 decision in its most recent contest at Catawba with four different leading scorers in that stretch. The Wolves went 3-for-14 from the floor in the fourth quarter.
Samantha Creed continues to be the leading scorer averaging a team-high 14.1 points per game this season. The All-American has scored in double figures in 13 of 15 games this season including a 19-point effort in 22 minutes at Holt Fieldhouse on Dec. 5.
Meg Essex has been up-and-down this season filling in for Newberry's all-time leading scorer, Haylee Lepaio. The freshman has scored at least 10 points 11 times but has been held to fewer than five four times including a two-point outing in 13 minutes against C-N. She leads the conference with 32 total blocks.
The only glaring issue in terms of numbers for the Wolves this season comes in their inability to defend the three-point line as opponents are shooting 33.5 percent, 236th nationally. The Lady Eagles went 9-for-20 from long distance in the first meeting this year.
Newberry is one of the top teams at getting to the free-throw line and converting once it gets there. The Wolves average 18 foul shots per night and shoot a 73.9 clip at the stripe, 52nd in the country.
Coach Sean Page's group have recorded the fifth-fewest steals per game in the nation on the year and force a SAC-worst 14.6 turnovers per game.
Fans can listen to the game on two formats. The Eagle Sports Network's flagship station, 106.3 WPFT-FM, and cneagles.com/live will have coverage beginning at 1:45 p.m. with The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off.
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