C-N Women's Basketball Game Notes
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Looking to put a halt to a two-game losing skid, Carson-Newman returns to Holt Fieldhouse for a 5 p.m. contest against Johnson (Tenn.) Wednesday night in a nonconference outing.
Offense has not been an issue with the Lady Eagles this season ranking at the top of the conference in scoring (83.6), assists per game (17.2), field-goal percentage (44.6) and three-point field-goal percentage (39.4).
The other end of the floor has been a different story as C-N is eighth in the league in scoring defense (72.3), ninth in field-goal percentage defense (42.3), 10th in three-point defense (33.3) and eighth in rebounding margin (-3.6).
"We probably need to spend less time offensively and more time boxing out and rebounding," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said following Sunday's loss at Columbus State. "Maybe we need to play against six or seven people like we did before we played Carolina. It's just a matter of muscle memory and habit forming boxing out and holding your box outs. If we continue to get outrebounded like this I can't imagine we are going to win very many more."
At 2-3, C-N is off to its worst start since the 2010-11 year when it began the campaign 1-3 and 5-10 overall. That season was the last time that the Lady Eagles finished a season under .500 going 14-16 overall and 9-9 in league action.
Wednesday night will be the first time that Carson-Newman (2-3) and Johnson (2-4) have met on the hardwood and the first time in the program's history that C-N will face one of the 31 members of the National Christian College Athletic Association.
The Lady Eagles have not played an opponent outside of Division II since Dec. 7, 2011 when they toppled Maryville College 77-53. Four C-N players finished in double figures led by 14 points from Zoriah Williams, 7-for-7 from the floor, and 14 points from Shannon DePew.
The NCCAA was formed in 1968 in Canton, Ohio and is an association of Christian Universities, Colleges and Bible Colleges in the United States and Canada. Each season the top eight teams from around the country compete for the national title at the NCCAA Division II National Championships.
Last season Johnson was sixth in the nation averaging 66 points per night and yielding 58.8 points a game while shooting 42 percent from the floor and 33 percent from three-point range, both top-five in the NCCAA. The Royals averaged 44.2 rebounds per night to rank fourth in the country.
After going 12-9 in 2015-16, Johnson is off to a 2-4 start to the season with wins against Crowley's Ridge College (73-66) and Welch College (57-52). The 73-point effort is the most points scored this season.
The Royals are led by two-time All-American forward Taylor Baham. The senior was a second-team pick as a sophomore and a first-team selection following her junior campaign. She averaged 17.2 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor a year ago. She also posted 2.1 blocks per night as a junior.
Senior guard Tiffany Smelcer led the NCCAA a season ago in three-point percentage making 50-for-107, 47 percent from long distance and shot 77 percent at the free-throw line, good for sixth nationally at her level.
All proceeds from the women's game at 5 p.m. and the men's contest at 7 p.m. will go to help relief efforts for those affected by the wildfires in Sevier County, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
The game will have three different broadcast options. Locally, fans can catch the game on Mountain Country 106.3 WPFT-FM. Internationally, there will be a high definition video stream and an audio link available on cneagles.com/live. Broadcast coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off" on the Eagle Sports Network.
