JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – In a game featuring nine ties and 15 lead changes, Carson-Newman scored five points in a row in the final two minutes to topple Limestone 78-74 Wednesday night in South Atlantic Conference play at Holt Fieldhouse.
"We knew before the game the amount of the threes they hit and the amount of offensive rebounds we gave up over there," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "We did a much better job of not allowing them to take as many wide open threes. We did give up some drives and things of that nature. We wanted them to make twos and not threes. We only gave up seven offensive rebounds, much better than 17. We held them down a little better. They are a tough team to guard. Offensively, we scored the ball well and had four in double figures."
The Lady Eagles have won seven straight SAC contests for the first time in two years while beating Limestone (9-9, 4-4) for the third meeting in a row at Holt in a game where their largest lead was five points.
Carson-Newman (12-6, 7-2) tied or won each of the five hustle point categories for the third time this season highlighted by 19 points off of 12 turnovers by the Saints.
Leading four double-digit scorers, Braelyn Wykle (Greeneville, Tenn.) posted her fourth consecutive 20-point scoring effort finishing with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Skylar Boshears (LaFollette, Tenn.) scored 16 of her 19 points in the second half making six out of seven attempts.
In the post, Harli Smith (Jamestown, Tenn.) recorded 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Keeleigh Rogers (Knoxville, Tenn.) tallied a career day with 14 points, 14 rebounds and four assists for the first double-double of her career.
"I really just try to come out every game and do what needs to be done that game whether it's scoring, rebounding or setting screens," Smith said. "I am not looking to do anything other than what I need to do to help us win."
�� First career double-double by @keeleighrogers
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) January 19, 2023
�� Clutch shots
7️⃣ straight SAC wins for @CNwbasketball pic.twitter.com/mwLzosxOvO
After an 8-2 scoring surge put Carson-Newman ahead 10-6 in the first quarter maintaining the lead to 15-13 six minutes into the game. Limestone scored six in a row and closed the period on an 11-4 surge to go on top 24-19 after 10 minutes.
The margin reached seven in the opening moments of the second stanza before the Lady Eagles used a 9-2 run to claw back ahead. C-N held the Saints to two points in the final 4:29 of the half using eight foul shots to take a 38-37 edge into the locker room.
The two sides traded buckets in the third shooting above 50 percent before the home side failed to make a shot in the final 2:09 before Shariah Gaddy made a layup in the final second to put the Saints ahead 56-55 going to the fourth.
Tied at 72 with 2:37, the Orange and Blue scored five in a row to take their largest lead of the day on an and-one by Wykle. Quin Byrd hit a driving layup with 29 seconds to play before Boshears made one out of two at the free-throw line to make it a four-point game and seal the victory.
Byrd finished with a game-high 29 points going 12-for-20 from the field adding six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Reagan McCray racked up 15 points and four assists while Reagan Kargo added 11 points.
Limestone shot 48 percent from the field but ranked 15th in the country in three-point shooting, the club went 5-for-19, 26 percent, from beyond the arc in the game.
The Lady Eagles host No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday at 2 p.m. in their fifth matchup with a ranked team. Broadcast coverage airs on Mountain Talk 106.3 FM and cneagles.com/live starting at 1:45 p.m. with "The AEC Countdown to Tip-Off" courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network.
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