Carson-Newman Game Notes

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The fifth-seeded Carson-Newman Lady Eagles basketball team (15-10, 9-9 South Atlantic Conference) will begin its play in the 2013 Food Lion SAC Women's Basketball Championship by facing the fourth-seeded Newberry Wolves (19-9, 11-7 South Atlantic Conference) in the tournament quarterfinals at Newberry's Eleazer Arena on Wednesday March 6 at 7 p.m.

The Lady Eagles and Wolves split both meetings this season, with each team winning on their home court. Carson-Newman held Newberry to a season-low 39 points in a 57-39 win on Jan. 12 in Jefferson City, while the Wolves won 75-66 on Feb. 16 in Newberry.

"It's conference tournament time and anything can happen when it's win and advance or lose and go home," said Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey. "I'm happy to be on a two-game winning streak going into the tournament and we'll go to Newberry with everything to gain and nothing to lose."

After losing five of their last six games prior to last week, the Lady Eagles posted two victories: winning at Catawba 60-59 and defeating Wingate 56-50 on Senior Day last Saturday at Holt Fieldhouse. Leading the way for Carson-Newman in the wins was freshman Tatum Burstrom (Maryville, Tenn.) and for her outstanding week she was named the SAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week.

"It was exciting to see that finally she got rewarded for her efforts," said Mincey. "I think she's had some better weeks this season but for us to be the only team to win two games this week, I think it was a well-deserved honor for her."

Burstrom started her award-winning week with a career-high 24-point performance at Catawba last Wednesday night. She knocked down a season-best six three-pointers in the victory, and then scored all 12 of her points in the second half on Saturday as the Lady Eagles downed Wingate. Burstrom leads the team by averaging 11.2 points per game.

Newberry is the fourth-seed in this tournament, and comes into this tournament having lost two of its last three games despite a 64-59 win over Lenoir-Rhyne this past Saturday. The Wolves are strong at home, going 13-1 overall and 8-0 in conference games played at Eleazer Arena.

The winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup between Carson-Newman and Newberry will face the winner of top-seeded Anderson and eighth-seeded Lincoln Memorial in the semifinals at Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C. on Saturday March 9 at noon. The championship game will be played on Sunday March 10 at 1:30 p.m. at Timmons Arena.

Coverage of all Carson-Newman games in the 2013 Food Lion SAC Women's Basketball Championship will be available on www.cneagles.com as well as the Coca-Cola Eagle Sports Network.