VIDEO: Jai Jai McLaughlin Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Queens went 7-for-26 from the floor in the second half and shot 35 percent in the game as Carson-Newman earned its fourth win of January by at least 15 points winning 73-53 Saturday afternoon at Holt Fieldhouse.
"The way we got started was my biggest fear," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "We missed so many shots around the rim, shots that we should normally make. Give Queens credit. They shot the ball well in the first half. They didn't shoot nearly as well in the second half. We had another big third quarter scoring 22 points."
Carson-Newman (15-5, 9-5 South Atlantic Conference) handed out 26 assists, its most since recording 26 against Coker on Nov. 22, 2014. Junior guard Kailyn Brooks (Lafayette, Tenn.) led the way with eight assists while scoring 13 points, her 10th-straight game with at least 10 points.
Senior guard Jai Jai McLaughlin (Knoxville, Tenn.) moved into seventh place on the program's all-time assists list bringing her career total to 332 passing Kim Weens, 1985-87.
"It's humbling to know that my teammates are making shots when I pass them the ball," McLaughlin said. "From freshman year to senior year, it's something we have been working on. As a point guard I felt like the emphasis should be assists more than points."
The Lady Eagles won their sixth-straight home game while Queens (3-15, 1-12 SAC) lost a road game for the 14th consecutive outing.
Carson-Newman missed its first nine shots from the floor until Brooks splashed a three-pointer from straightaway with 4:49 to play to give the Lady Eagles a 3-2 lead. C-N went 5-for-17 in the frame and trailed 15-14 heading into the second quarter.
Queens held its largest lead of the half at 31-26 with 2:36 to play in the second quarter when Carson-Newman reeled off nine unanswered points to close out the half and take a 35-31 lead at the break. The Royals failed to score for the final 3:36 of the half.
Of 14 made baskets by the home team in the first half, the Lady Eagles assisted on 13 committing just six turnovers in the opening session. The lead changed hands 17 times in the first 20 minutes of action.
Queens failed to score a point in the final 3:38 of the third stanza as Carson-Newman closed the quarter on an 11-1 run to balloon the lead to 57-39. The Royals went 2-for-13 from the floor in the frame compared to a 9-for-15 display from the Lady Eagles.
Carson-Newman's lead stretched to a game-high 25 points with 4:54 to play in the contest. Queens scored eight of the next 10 points to cut the deficit to 15 before the Lady Eagles closed out the game with five straight points.
Senior forward Taylor Peterson (Mount Juliet, Tenn.) led all scorers with a season-high 17 points while going 8-for-13 from the floor. Senior guard Tatum Burstrom (Maryville, Tenn.) finished with 14 points.
Junior forward Kaitlyn Cupples (Clinton, Tenn.) finished the day with eight points, six rebounds and career-highs with four assists and five blocks.
Three players scored in double figures for the Royals led by 13 points from Erin Brundage, 12 points and eight rebounds from Carmen Richardson and 11 points for Sheridan Pressley.
Carson-Newman ventures to Mars Hill Wednesday for a 6 p.m. start against the Lions. Broadcast coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on 106.3 WPFT-FM and cneagles.com/live with The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off on the Eagle Sports Network.
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