VIDEO: Makayla Alvey Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Behind stout second half defense and a near triple-double from Makayla Alvey, Carson-Newman (16-7, 10-5 SAC) ended a two-game skid with a 64-57 home win over Lenoir-Rhyne (16-7, 11-4 SAC) on Saturday afternoon inside Holt Fieldhouse.
"I thought the six players that played in the second half defended extremely well," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "They were shooting 57% in the first half and I was glad to see us get that down to 38% by the end. Obviously in their zone, you have to have experience and know how to play against it. We didn't score a ton of points against it and made some mistakes but at the end of the day we were able to do enough to carry out a seven-point win."
The Lady Eagles remain unbeaten at 12-0 at home this season and have won all 12 by six points or more.
Makayla Alvey (Dandridge, Tenn.) played a huge role in the seven-point home win. The junior guard finished the game one assist shy of a triple-double, scoring 10 points, grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds and dishing out a career-high nine assists. It was the first double-double of her career.
"Coming off our last two games we struggled offensively and defensively," Alvey said. "I know I'm not the biggest offensive threat, but I do what I need to on defense to get as many rebounds and assists for my team, so that we can work together and get the job done."
After Lenoir-Rhyne shot above 50% from the field and from three-point range in the first half, the Lady Eagles defense clamped down after halftime. Carson-Newman put together its best defensive second half all season, holding LR to just 20 points in the second half. The Bears shot an abysmal 7-31 (22%) from the field in the second half and only made one three-pointer. It's the fourth time in SAC play that C-N has held an opponent to less than 60 points. It's the ninth time its happened this season and C-N is 9-0 when the opponent fails to score more than 60 points.
Carson-Newman played great defense early on to get off to a hot start. Tori Rutherford (Rutledge, Tenn.) buried two triples and C-N led 11-2 with 4:47 to play in the first. LR finished the period well by making five of their final seven shots to trail by just two points after one quarter.
After a back and forth start in the second quarter, C-N gained control thanks to a 10-0 scoring run that was capped off by an Alvey three-pointer to give the Lady Eagles their largest lead of the half at 12 points with 5:33 to play in the opening half. Once again though, the Bears ended a quarter well and scored 16 of the final 23 points including eight of the final 11 and trailed by just three points at intermission.
The Lady Eagles defense was incredible in the third period. After four straight LR points to start the quarter, C-N answered with a 10-0 scoring run over the next eight minutes of action. C-N's defense held the Bears scoreless for eight minutes in the third quarter. The Bears made just three shots in the quarter and C-N led by eight after three quarters.
Rutherford buried a three-pointer to start the fourth and the lead increased to 11 one-minute in. It took more than three minutes for the next basket which came from Blaikely Crooks and it was a nine-point game with 5:50 remaining. Both teams only scored two baskets apiece in the final four minutes of the contest, as Carson-Newman finished off a strong defensive second half to defeat the Bears by seven.
Lenoir-Rhyne was held to 38% shooting and just six three-pointers. C-N made eight threes and was 41% from the field in the win. 23 of C-N's 26 buckets were assisted on. The Lady Eagles are now 15-1 when they outshoot their opponent.
Thanks to Alvey's efforts, Carson-Newman outrebounded Lenoir-Rhyne 44-31 and 11-6 on the offensive glass.
Rutheford reset her career-high with four made three-pointers and finished with a season-high 14 points.
Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) scored 12 points, ten of which came in the first half. Braelyn Wykle (Greeneville, Tenn.) finished with 11 and had two triples in the second half.
Carson-Newman scored 14 more points in the paint than LR and got 11 more points from its bench. The Lady Eagles are 13-0 when the bench outscores their opponent's bench.
Tilda Lindstrom paced three double-figure scorers with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The team's leading scorer Crooks was held to just eight points.
Carson-Newman continues its three-game homestand on Wednesday evening when it welcomes the Tusculum Pioneers to Holt Fieldhouse. Broadcast coverage airs on Mountain Talk 106.3 FM and cneagles.com/live starting at 5:15 p.m. with "The AEC Countdown to Tip-Off" courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network.
