VIDEO: Madison Bunch Interview
HARROGATE, Tenn. – Madison Bunch and Braelyn Wykle combined for 35 points and Carson-Newman scored 18 of the first 21 points of the game in an 83-67 victory in South Atlantic Conference play over Lincoln Memorial Wednesday night at Tex Turner Arena.
Carson-Newman (14-5, 10-3) wins a fifth consecutive road game while winning in Harrogate for the second straight season for the first time since 2011 and 2012. Mincey had been 1-6 prior to last season's win at Tex Turner Arena in his career.
"We came out with the right mindset," Mincey said. "We don't really have that killer instinct at this point and time to continue to have the gas pedal down. LMU did a good job out of our press getting the ball up the floor. We got into the half court and we did not really play great defense. We weren't getting up in them."
Bunch finished the game with a season-high 14 points, her third career double-digit scoring effort, going 5-for-7 from the field and making four of five from long range adding four rebounds.
"I think that getting in the gym and practicing," Bunch said. "I was in the gym today right before the game today because my shot has been a little funky just trying to get it all figured out but it worked out today. Anybody can hit a shot. It's an all-around team effort."
Wykle posted a 20-point effort for the fourth consecutive game leading the way with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting. The duo combined to go 13-for-22 from the field while the rest of the team went 17-for-48.
All told, the Lady Eagles buried a dozen three-pointers in the game with six different players posting at least one. Harli Smith (Jamestown, Tenn.) was the third and final double-digit scorer finishing with 10 points and six boards.
Kayla Marosites (Elizabethton, Tenn.) failed to score in double-figures for the first time this year finishing with six points going 1-for-13 from the floor. However, the senior led all players with 13 rebounds adding five assists, two steals and two blocks.
The Lady Eagles had Lincoln Memorial (6-11, 5-8) their fourth loss in a row and their eighth in their last 10 times on the floor while winning for the fourth time in the last five meetings.
5⃣ straight @CNwbasketball road wins
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) January 30, 2020
�� season-high 14 points for @madisonbunch33
✅ road win in Harrogate for the second straight year pic.twitter.com/5GwVhjcfxt
Carson-Newman came out of the gates strong making seven of its first eight shots taking an 18-3 lead in the first 3:33 of the game. LMU ripped off eight straight to close the gap to single digits. The Lady Eagles shot 63 percent in the first 10 minutes and led 29-19.
The teams went back and forth in the second stanza before a 10-3 sequence from the visitors put the Lady Eagles on top by 18 at 44-26 with 3:30 to go before halftime. It would be the last points that C-N scored in the first half as the team missed its final seven shots of the period opening the door to an 8-0 close for the Railsplitters making it a 44-34 game at the break.
Lincoln Memorial made three of 13 from the floor in the third but made five foul shots to get some offense. C-N made four of its final five shots of the period to balloon the bulge to 19 at 64-45 after 30 minutes of action.
After a layup from Wykle pushed the lead to 21, LMU used a 10-2 burst to close the gap to 13 at 68-55 with 6:16 to play. Carson-Newman responded with a 9-0 spurt to push the differential to a game-high 22 before settling on the final margin of 16.
Sydney Newsome had a career day on the floor with her first double-double of the season with a season-high 25 points and 12 rebounds adding four assists. Lauren Flowers added 13 points and Tytiairia Spikes had 10.
The Railsplitters made 62 percent of their shots in the fourth to outshoot C-N for the game marking the first time this year that the Lady Eagles won a game in five tries where their foe posted a higher field-goal percentage.
The Lady Eagles return home for a 2 p.m. tip-off against 20th-ranked Anderson on Saturday from Holt Fieldhouse. Broadcast coverage airs on 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and cneagles.com/live starting at 1:45.
