JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – One of the most challenging weeks in recent memory is on tap for 10th-ranked Carson-Newman featuring four South Atlantic Conference road trips in a seven-day stretch starting with a Wednesday night trek to Lincoln Memorial for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off from Tex Turner Arena.
"Obviously we had success last week winning tough games and going on the road twice," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "It was challenging with little practice. Since we were successful, we felt like we did a good job navigating it keeping people fresh. A lot of teams have to go through it. Having Sunday off and not a game on Monday was nice."
MOVING ��@CNwbasketball is �� in the top �� pic.twitter.com/bGKQ6fDbiH
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) January 26, 2021
In the most recent D2SIDA poll, the Lady Eagles surged 10 spots to No. 10 in the country moving into the top 10 for the first time since Nov. 20, 2018. This week is the 23rd week in school history of being a top 10 team behind 17 straight in 2017-18. The rest of the current league members have spent a total of 32 weeks combined.
Carson-Newman (7-0, 7-0) touts four of the top seven most efficient players in the league based on field-goal percentage as the team is posting 88 points per game and shooting 49 percent from the field in four games in January.
The efficiency has been aided by paint points as the club is averaging 45 per game this year. Since the athletic communications staff has been logging the stat in 2015, the highest average for a season was 2017-18 with 37 per night. Racking up 62 points on Saturday against Wingate, the unit matched its prior high mark set on Dec. 10, 2016 against Queens.
Defensively, this year's team has limited six of the seven opponents to 40 percent shooting or less compiling a field-goal percentage defense of 36.9 percent that would stand to be the best of the Mincey era. C-N is seventh in the country in defensive rebounding (32.6) and blocks per game (5.9).
Wednesday is the 87th meeting between schools that have been squaring off against each other since 1979. Carson-Newman leads 52-34 with an 11-10 edge during Mincey's tenure. The Lady Eagles have won two straight at Tex Turner Arena winning both by double figures including an 83-67 decision a year ago.
The Orange and Blue drilled a dozen three-pointers in wins of 27 and 16 last year. Braelyn Wykle (Greeneville, Tenn.) scored 39 points between the two contests making half of her 30 shots from the field. Madison Bunch (Morristown, Tenn.) and Harli Smith (Jamestown, Tenn.) chipped in 14 and 10 on the road.
�� TSWA Player of the Week
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) January 26, 2021
✌ honors in ✌ days
1⃣9⃣ points, 1⃣1⃣ rebounds@CNwbasketball's @19LindseyTaylor adds to her laurel list. pic.twitter.com/ozibpKMYDd
Lincoln Memorial (5-6, 4-6) is under the tutelage of Devan Carter who is in his first season in Harrogate after winning the SAC Tournament title in 2020 with Tusculum where he spent five years. Of the five regular starters last season, three return led by the team's leading scorer, Lauren Flowers.
After opening the year 3-1, the Railsplitters are 2-5 in January and have lost three straight, two to UVA Wise and one to Catawba, teams that are a combined 13-2. On Monday night, LMU tied the score at 77 with 2:36 to go against the Cavaliers before allowing seven straight falling 86-79.
Lincoln Memorial did not allow more than 65 points in any of the first eight games of the year but are surrendering 79 points per game during a three-game skid. Foes are shooting 40 percent from the floor, ranking ninth in the league and are converting at a 48 percent clip in that stretch.
Carter's group has shot above 50 percent in two of the last five and ranks third in the league in offensive efficiency at 40 percent but are ninth in the league in points per game with 65.
The team is one of the best in the country at getting to the free-throw line attempting over 20 on a nightly basis making 72 percent to rank fifth. However, it is making 61 percent during the three-game losing skid in 23 shots per contest.
Flowers ranks eighth in the SAC in scoring at 14 per game filling up the stat sheet with seven boards, three assists, and nearly three steals per game. She has been in double figures in all but one game with a pair of double-doubles this season. The sophomore has played all 40 minutes five times including in each of the last three.
The Eagle Sports Network has the broadcast of the contest locally on The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) with an audio stream available for free on cneagles.com/live starting 15 minutes before tip-off with "The AEC Countdown to Tip-Off.
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