VIDEO: Kayla Marosites Interview
WISE, Va. – Kayla Marosites reset her own single-season double-double record with her 22nd of the season helping Carson-Newman to its 20th win of the year taking down UVa-Wise at the Prior Center in South Atlantic Conference action Wednesday evening.
Marosites tallied her fourth career 20-rebound effort finishing the game with 12 points, 21 rebounds, four steals, two blocks and two steals. The Elizabethton, Tenn. held the record with 21 as a junior in 2018-19.
"I think it's awesome," Marosites said. "Rebounding is my thing. It's one of my favorite things about basketball. To be able to do that I think it's really cool. I will always be able to look back on that. I go out there every game and try to do my thing. I knew my shots weren't falling so I was able to clean the glass."
Carson-Newman (20-7, 16-5) secures a fourth consecutive 20-win season for the first time since a string of seven in a row at the end of the 1980s. The Lady Eagles also notch an 11th road win for the third consecutive campaign improving to 25-6 in SAC road affairs in that span.
"It's a consistency by the players," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "We have had really good players come in and they stay. They work together well and spend a lot of time in the weight room and in the gym. They are very deserving to win 20 games again.
"When you go on the road you are at a disadvantage normally. We have been really fortunate to be able to have the players that we have had to win whether it be close victories or not. I am proud as a coach that we have been as locked in as we have."
Braelyn Wykle (Greeneville, Tenn.) led four double-digit scorers for the Lady Eagles with 20 points on nine of 18 shooting adding seven assists and three steals.
Harli Smith (Jamestown, Tenn.) scored in double figures for a third game in a row finished with 13 points and four rebounds. Addison Byrd (Nashville, Tenn.) chipped in 14 points on seven of 10 shooting off of the bench.
UVa-Wise (12-15, 8-13) turned the ball over 25 times in the game leading to 27 points for C-N on the day. The Lady Eagles shot 37 percent from the field and uncharacteristically went 5-for-26 from three, a season low for the nation's second-best long distance shooting team.
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— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 26, 2020
you serious, @madisonbunch33???
Check those inside moves for @CNwbasketball pic.twitter.com/RZ0HUKQ4os
Mincey's unit scored 12 of the first 17 points of the game but could not pull away in the first period taking the same seven-point lead into the second at 20-13 behind 10 points off of 11 turnovers for the home side.
After C-N opened up a double-digit lead at 28-17 two minutes into the second stanza, Wise rebounded with seven unanswered to trim the margin to four at 28-24 with 6:19 to go before the break. The Lady Eagles found their stroke scoring 14 unanswered in nearly four minutes of action to get the lead out to 18 points at 42-24 on a triple from Wykle. The Orange and Blue shot 71 percent from the field in the second period to open up a 47-33 lead at halftime.
�� Fourth 20-rebound game for @KaylaMarosites
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 27, 2020
✅ New single-season double-double record
�� 11th road win of the year for @CNwbasketball pic.twitter.com/fKYsLLig0m
Carson-Newman shot 30 percent in the third period and was outscored by four to lead by 10 points at 62-52 going into the final period. Wise made the run behind 13 points from Caitlyn Ross, who was scoreless in the first half.
Ross converted a layup with 6:48 to go to trim the margin to eight before C-N responded by scoring 14 of the next 21 points to get the lead back to 15 coasting to a 13-point victory.
Three players scored in double figures for the Cavaliers with Ross leading the way with 24 points, six rebounds and four steals but she did turn the ball over 11 times. Ada Stanley added a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards and Kalee Johnson tacked on 14.
The Lady Eagles wrap up the regular season Saturday with Senior Day festivities from Holt Fieldhouse at 2 p.m. playing host to Newberry to finish up the season. Coverage can be found by tuning into 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and cneagles.com/live.
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