GAFFNEY, S.C. – Despite shooting better than 55 percent in two of the four quarters, Carson-Newman allowed the most points of the year and saw Limestone shoot 53 percent from the field in an 88-76 loss on Saturday at the Timken Center.
"They brought a good game today," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "One of the things we talked about in the locker room is statistically our opponents, what they are doing against other people they are having a field day against us from an offensive perspective. When we come back after the break we are going to have to fix some things defensively if we are going to have a chance to win."
Producing the best road record in South Atlantic Conference play over the last five years, Carson-Newman (9-3, 7-2) suffered its first road loss since losing by nine to Anderson on Feb. 13, 2019. The last five setbacks had been by five or fewer points.
Limestone (8-3, 5-3) hands C-N its first defeat away from home this year as the Lady Eagles had won nine of the last 10 times it left Holt Fieldhouse. The Saints improve to 3-0 at home against the Orange and Blue.
Braelyn Wykle (Greeneville, Tenn.) led all scorers in the game with 21 points adding three assists. The junior was one of three players in double figures. Addison Byrd (Nashville, Tenn.) notched a double-double for the second game in a row with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Skylar Boshears (LaFollette, Tenn.) tossed in 11 points. With only three players off of the bench, Mincey's unit outscored Limestone 18-16 in bench points with Sydney Pearce (Johnson City, Tenn.) leading the crew with eight points and seven boards.
To open the game, the Lady Eagles made five of their first six shots from the floor to go ahead 11-7 midway through the first frame. During a stretch where the visitors fails to score for 4:05, Limestone took a 14-12 edge before C-N scored the final seven points of the first capped by a triple from Abby Wilson (Kingston, Tenn.) in the waning seconds to put the club ahead 19-14.
Despite starting the second period 2-for-11 from the field, the Lady Eagles held a 25-23 edge with 5:44 to go before halftime. However the defense unraveled conceding a 17-2 burst highlighted by an 11-0 stretch, the first double-digit scoring run allowed this season. C-N scored the final four points of the half and trailed 40-31 at the break.
Less than four minutes into the second half, Mincey's club faced their largest deficit of the season at 51-35 with 6:37 to go in the third courtesy of a trifecta from Reagan McCray. Despite a 7-0 to claw back within a 54-47 tally, the Lady Eagles were unable to close the quarter going behind 65-49 going into the final quarter.
In the final 10 minutes, the Orange and Blue made 56 percent from the field but the Saints made 64 percent and nine of 13 at the free-throw line to secure the victory.
Five Saints finished in double figures with Kalisha Hill and Quin Byrd each finishing with 19 points. Hill went 8-for-11 from the floor with six rebounds and three blocks. Byrd added four boards and four assists.
McCray talled 16 points burying a trio of triples and Reagan Kargo added 15 points and three rebounds. Off of the pine, Madison Clark went 5-for-8 from the field and scored 10 points with six caroms.
Limestone started the game 5-for-15 from the field but made 28 of 47, 60 percent, over the final three periods of play. Carson-Newman only turned the ball over 13 times but it led to 21 points for the Saints.
The Lady Eagles turn their sights to the New Year taking on Coker at home on Jan. 5 at 5:30 p.m., one of the three home affairs on the docket in January. Broadcast coverage starts at 5:15 p.m. with "The AEC Countdown to Tip-Off" on the Eagle Sports Network.
- CN -
