JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles basketball team (8-3, 2-2 South Atlantic Conference) earned a 57-39 victory over the Newberry Wolves (10-4, 2-2 South Atlantic Conference) at Holt Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

The Lady Eagles began the game on an 11-0 run and never looked back, never trailing in the contest while holding Newberry to a season-low 39 points.

"I think it is the signature win of this season," said Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey. "Our kids and coaching staff knew that we were going to have to have a good effort against a really good Newberry team today. I thought we came out and for the most part played really hard, played really well and came out with a nice victory."

Carson-Newman was led in scoring by Shyra Clark's 14 points, as she has scored 31 total points in the last two games after scoring 17 against Tusculum on Wednesday. Clark was joined in double figures by Jai Jai McLaughlin (Knoxville, Tenn.), who scored 12 points while grabbing six rebounds.

After Carson-Newman began the game on an 11-0 run, Newberry finished the first half on a 20-12 run, and the Lady Eagles led at halftime 23-20. Carson-Newman was out-shot in the first half, as the Lady Eagles shot 43.5 percent while Newberry shot 47 percent.

The Lady Eagles got the second half on an 8-0 run to get to a 31-20 lead with 17:09 to play thanks to baskets from Clark, McLaughlin and Whitney Moody. The Lady Eagles played strong defense in the second half, limiting Newberry to 6-19 (19.4%) shooting, and the Wolves did not connect on a three-pointer in 13 attemps during the afternoon.

The Lady Eagles would grow the lead as large as 20 with 7:18 to play, and Mincey brought in an underclassmen lineup in the final minutes to preserve a 57-39 victory over the Wolves.

Newberry's three-time SAC Player of the Week and the league's top scorer Haylee Lepaio was held to a 12-point performance, eight points below her 20.1 points per game average.

Carson-Newman outrebounded Newberry 34-30, with Moody leading the Lady Eagles with nine rebounds, five on the defensive glass.

Carson-Newman will next play on Wednesday Jan. 16 at Mars Hill at 6 p.m. Coverage of the game is available on the Coca-Cola Eagle Sports Network, beginning with the Farm Bureau Countdown to Tipoff at 5:45 p.m. and the broadcast is also available on www.cneagles.com.