JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - After ten days off, Carson-Newman (5-1) looks to remain unbeaten at home this season when it welcomes Limestone (5-2, 1-0) to Holt Fieldhouse for the Lady Eagles' South Atlantic Conference opener.
"Our defense has been great this year," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "It's been way better than last year and obviously the numbers show that. I'm just hoping that we can continue to do that for another 22 regular season games. If we can score the ball effectively as well, I think we have a great shot at winning. Hopefully off this extended break, we come in fairly fresh and find the bottom of the net early and often if we want to have a chance to win."
After defeating Belmont Abbey ten days ago, Mincey has 245 career wins and is five away from tying Eddie Carter for the most wins in program history. Winning five of the first six games this season, his team has done it in dominant fashion, outscoring teams by 17 points, the best mark in the SAC.
Since joining the SAC, the Lady Eagles are 22-12 in SAC openers, while holding a 9-3 record under Mincey with wins in five of their last six. C-N has won its first SAC home game, each of the last four seasons.
C-N has been extremely effective on the defensive end this season. The defense has not allowed an opponent to shoot better than 40% from the field. C-N is averaging 4 blocks per game, the most in the conference and the second most steals per game with 11 on average per game. Tori Rutherford and Campbell Penland have each recorded at least one steal in every game, with Rutherford having at least two in every game this year.
Scoring 112 points in six games this season, Braelyn Wykle (Greenville, Tenn.) is 91 points away from becoming the program's all-time leading scorer. The graduate student is C-N's leading scorer at 18.7 points per game this season.
Saturday's matchup with the Saints marks the ninth all-time meeting, with Limestone leading the series tally 5-3. When playing the Saints at home, C-N is 3-1 and has won three straight 78 points or more in all three victories. The two teams split their meetings last season, with both holding serve at home. C-N's 78-74 win versus the Saints on Jan 18th saw four players score in double-figure, with Wykle leading the way with 22. Keeleigh Rogers (Farragut, Tenn.) scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for her first career double-double.
Limestone has won back-to-back games after dropping two straight to close out November. Corey Fox's team is 5-2 this season and already 1-0 in the league after a 64-57 win versus UVA Wise. The Saints were picked to finish seventh in the SAC's preseason poll.
SAC Player of the Week Kalisha Hill is the team's top scorer, averaging a double-double in seven games, at 18 points per game and 10 rebounds a night. Hill is coming off back-to-back 20-point double-doubles in wins versus Clayton State and UVA Wise. Reagan Kargo follows behind at 16 points per game and has scored 20 or more on two different occasions this season.
Statistically, the Saints stand out in two areas. They are first in the SAC in free throws made (18) and attempted per game (23), both of which rank in the top 30 nationally. Limestone is also number in the SAC in its three-point percentage defense, holding its opponents to 21% from long range. Defensively, Fox's squad is holding opponents to 35% shooting in the seven games played.
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. A live stream of the game is available with a subscription to FloSports.
