Carson-Newman Women's Basketball Game Notes
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – With losses in five of its last six games Carson-Newman goes on the road for a 6 p.m. tip-off at Brevard on Wednesday night looking to regain its form against a Tornado group that has lost 20-straight games.
The Lady Eagles (16-10, 10-10 South Atlantic Conference) have seen their top-two scoring threats, senior Tatum Burstrom (Maryville, Tenn.) and Kailyn Brooks (Lafayette, Tenn.), combine to score an average of 13.3 points per night over the last three games compared to their season average of 26.7 points per game. The duo is shooting 21 percent from the floor, 14-for-67, in that span.
"We have tried to do some things in practice and just let them play," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "We shoot it as much as anyone in practice as anybody in the country. That's not good enough. Making shots when you're not guarded that can only help so much. I think ultimately it's going to have be done in a game."
Wednesday marks the 20th all-time meeting between Carson-Newman and Brevard as the Lady Eagles hold a 17-2 advantage with both losses coming on the road including the last time the two squads met in the Tar Heel State in 2015.
In the first game this season between the two programs Carson-Newman shot 58 percent in the first half to take an 18-point halftime lead to cruise to a 75-57 victory at Holt Fieldhouse. Five players scored in double figures for C-N in the game.
Brevard's two wins in the series came on Jan. 5, 2011 and Jan. 14, 2015 with both contests being played at Boshamer Gymnasium. Katie Williams banked in a 25-foot three-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime. The Lady Eagles missed all 16 long-distance dedications in the first half and went 5-for-33 in the game.
Brevard enters Wednesday evening with the third-longest losing streak this season having lost 20 straight contests. The University of Puerto Rice-Rio Piedras has lost 22 straight while Texas A&M-Kingsville has lost 21 in-a-row. The Tornados are one of four teams in the country without a win in conference play. The others are Texas A&M-Kingsville (0-15), Saint Augustine's (0-16) and Northwestern Oklahoma (0-20). Brevard's 12-game losing streak at home is second to Northwestern Oklahoma's 14-game skid for longest streaks of losses at home.
The Tornados field-goal percentage defense ranks 294th out of 300 teams in the nation giving up an average of 44.2 percent on the year. Opponents are scoring 71.6 points per game on the year, the highest points against for a SAC team.
Madison Lenox continues to lead the way for Brevard as the junior ranks fourth in the league by averaging 15.7 points per game. On Saturday at Catawba, Lenox became Brevard's leader in Division II era for career points with 1,130.
The contest will be broadcast on Mountain Country 106.3 WPFT-FM and on cneagles.com/live beginning at 5:45 p.m. with broadcast coverage starting with The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off on the Eagle Sports Network.
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