JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey released the 2021-22 schedule Thursday afternoon featuring a 28-game slate with 13 home games and no homestand or road trip lasting longer than three contests for the Lady Eagles.
For the first time in since 2003, the Lady Eagles will not have an exhibition game of any kind after playing the University of Tennessee for a stretch from 2004-19 sprinkling in a few trips to North Carolina and Duke during that span and a midseason contest at Liberty during the 2020-21 Covid-shortened season.
"We return five starters that ended the year and some players off of the bench that played big minutes but we have some new guys coming in," Mincey said. "We have three scrimmages. To perform in practice is one thing but how they do it against outside competition is a completely different thing. We need all the stats that we can get to see what our rotation is going to be as we get ready for the beginning of the year."
With the schedule back to the usual rotation, the Orange and Blue open the slate with the South Atlantic Conference/Peach Belt Conference Crossover to be played at Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, N.C. this year. C-N opens the campaign on Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. against a team expected to be ranked in the top five to open the season, Lander. The Bearcats won the South Region with a Covid realignment in the spring earning the No. 2 national season for the Elite Eight beating Azuza Pacific by a dozen before falling to third-seeded Drury 74-65 in the Final Four.
Coach Kevin Pederson returns a pair of All-Americans in Zamiya Passmore and Makaila Cange. Passmore was the South Region's Most Outstanding Player scoring 20 points and dishing out six assists per contest. Cange led the Peach Belt with 16 double-doubles while scoring 67 percent from the field.
After taking on USC Aiken on Sunday, Mincey's unit hops in the league action on Wednesday, Nov. 17 with the two-time reigning SAC Tournament titleholders, Tusculum. The Pioneers have to replace All-American Maddie Sutton but have Jalia Arnwine and Brianna Dixon back in the fold.
"It's always difficult going up against Lander," Mincey said. "We played against them down there and were fortunate to win when their top players were freshman. They grew into their sophomore year and went to the Final Four in the country. It's going to be a real challenge. Luckily it's going to be on a neutral site court to where that gives us the ability to compete with them. I like our squad.
"If you come out of that unscathed at 3-0 you are feeling good about yourself but we know that we have that neutral site game with Lander and Aiken, a program on the rise. You have Tusculum that has won the last two tournaments and returns quite a bit of its roster. It's a tough way to start the season. If we end up not winning some of those games, it will be a good barometer to know where we are at."
Holt Fieldhouse opens its doors for the first time on Nov. 20 when Queens comes to town for a 2 p.m. tip-off. C-N quickly goes back on the road to face Clayton State on Nov. 23 before the Lady Eagles return home for one of the four two-game homestands matching the longest of the year.
The longest swing of any kind for the year comes from Dec. 4-11 with road trips to Anderson, UVA Wise and Newberry before returning home to take on Mars Hill and closing out the first semester with a visit to Limestone on Dec. 18.
"A few years ago we struggled on the road," Mincey said. "We would do well in Holt but we knew that if we ever wanted to be a championship-caliber basketball team you have to go on the road and perform well. We know what that takes with rebounding and getting to the free-throw line. Going on the road and trying to compete, we don't have a problem with that. You can get comfy in your own gym and if you are here for too long you can get used to it and it's a shock to the system when you go on the road. Not having a long homestand doesn't bother us. Two is enough and let's get back on the road and stay balanced."
After an 18-day layoff for Christmas break, the 2022 calendar year starts on Jan. 5 against Coker. On Jan. 19, the club welcomes Emory & Henry to Holt Fieldhouse for the last meeting between the two programs before the Wasps join the league for the 2022-23 slate.
Six of the last nine games come at Mossy Creek starting on Jan. 29 against Newberry rounding out the home campaign with a senior night special against Lincoln Memorial on Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m. The year comes to a close with the longest road trip of the season making the five-plus hour bus ride to Coker on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. to close the regular season.
The South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Championships start on March 2 with the quarterfinals hosted at campus sites before the semifinals and finals are held at Furman on the fifth and sixth.
Regional tournaments will take place from March 11-14 after the selection show on NCAA.com on the night of March 6. This year's final destination is in Birmingham, Ala. at the Crossplex from March 22-25.
All road games can be heard on Mountain Country 106.3 WPFT-FM with coverage starting 15 minutes prior to tip-off on the Eagle Sports Network with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off". Each home contest will also feature a live video stream available on cneagles.com/live.
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