ROCK HILL, S.C.  – Carson-Newman has been picked to finish second in the South Atlantic Conference, as voted on by the league's coaches and announced earlier today.

The second-place projected finish is just the second time in the past six seasons that the Lady Eagles have not been picked to win the league. C-N received 124 points to earn the second spot and received two first-place votes.

Carson-Newman won the SAC's scoring title for an eighth straight season averaging points per game, a mark that was top 20 in the country as well. Along with the scoring came with C-N averaging 16 assists per game, another mark that was 20th in the country.

The Lady Eagles finished 2022-23 with a 17-12 overall record and 12-6 in league play. The season ended abruptly with C-N falling by one point in the regular season finale to Coker, followed by a quarterfinal loss to Anderson in the SAC tournament.

Head coach Mike Mincey enters his thirteenth season as the Lady Eagles head coach. He has 240 career wins, 11 away from passing Eddie Carter for the most wins in program history. Mincey has led C-N to five 20 plus win seasons to go along with two regular season championships and two tournament championships.

Mincey's squad returns all but one key contributor from last year's team. 90% of the scoring returns, 83% of which came from backcourt players led by Braelyn Wykle (Greeneville, Tenn.) and Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.) who scored 20.8 and 13.5 points per game respectively last season. With everyone back at the guards position this season, it comes with now loads of experience. C-N's guards will begin the year with a combined 302 career appearances and 175 career starts.

Wykle enters the year 203 points away from becoming the Lady Eagles' all-time leading scorer. The fifth-year guard averages 19 points per game for her career and has 56 career 20+ point games.

Along with returning a majority of last year's team, the Lady Eagles are glad to have two players back from injury in redshirt senior Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) and junior Makayla Alvey (Dandridge, Tenn.). Taylor averages 14.4 points per game and shoots 62% percent from the field in her C-N career. Alvey brings experience and defense to the lineup when she is on the floor. The Dandridge native has 55 steals in her Lady Eagles career, averaging more than a steal per game.

Catawba received ten first place votes to secure the top spot in the poll. It finished the year with a program-record 29 wins, while securing its first NCAA Regional title, and first trip to the Final Four.

Wingate was two points behind C-N in third place. Anderson held off Lenoir-Rhyne by one point to be voted fourth. Lincoln Memorial got one first place vote and is in the sixth spot.

There was a 21-point difference between sixth and seventh, with Limestone holding that spot. Tusculum, UVA Wise and Coker round out the top ten. Newberry, Mars Hill, and Emory & Henry check in 11-13 to close the poll.

The season begins on Nov. 11 versus Lander when C-N hosts the SAC/Peach Belt Crossover at 5:30 p.m. with airtime starting at 5:15 p.m. with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off". All the games this season can heard on the Eagle Sports Network with video coverage available on FloSports.