JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Having won all eight meetings with UVA Wise, Carson-Newman returns to the friendly confines of Holt Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. looking to get back into the win column against the Cavaliers in South Atlantic Conference action.
"Before North Georgia we worked a lot on sharing the ball and making good decisions," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "We got 26 assists against North Georgia. We went back into one-on-one basketball [Wednesday] – too much dribbling, not enough cutting, standing on the perimeter a lot and hoping someone can make something happen. That's not the type of team we are. A lot of it is going to come down to shot making."
There has been no better indicator of a result this season than rebounding as the Lady Eagles are 4-0 when outrebounding its foe versus 0-5 when losing the battle on the glass. All told, under Mincey, the club is 165-39 when holding an advantage in the category against a 55-60 mark when collecting fewer caroms.
Since Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) went down with a knee injury against North Georgia on Nov. 19, the Orange and Blue have attempted 40 percent of its shots from beyond the arc where the team is shooting 28 percent (40-for-145) while converting at a 46 percent clip (101-for-221) from two-point range.
While Carson-Newman (4-5) is 8-0 against UVA Wise (6-2, 1-1), seven of the eight have come by double figures with the average margin of victory sitting at 17. The only time a game was not decided by at least 10 came on Feb. 10, 2021 at Wise with the Lady Eagles coming way with a 92-89 triumph.
Playing three times last year including a SAC Quarterfinal matchup, C-N scored at least 81 points in all three meetings winning by 17, 18 and 17 holding the Cavaliers to an average of 64 points per game. In those three games, the team hit a total of 15 three-pointers shooting 47 percent overall.
Selected ninth in the preseason poll, Wise has won six of its first eight games of the year including all four of its contests at home. With a 2-2 record on the road, the Cavaliers are shooting almost two percentage points better on the road but is averaging nearly 10 points per game fewer.
Coach Jamie Cluesman's team is the third-most efficient unit in the conference making 45 percent from the floor ranking 40th in the country. Those numbers are buoyed by two performances making 59 and 61 percent while the team has shot lower than 40 percent four times.
Only two teams have shot greater than 40 percent this year including Tusculum making a season-high 45 percent on Wednesday in a 75-59 loss. The team ranks at the top of the conference in blocks per game with five, good for fifth in the country. The club has at least four in every affair.
Out of 296 teams nationally, UVA Wise ranks 246th in turnovers per game averaging a tick shy of 20 for the year. Outside of 13 giveaways against Flagler on Nov. 13, the team has at least 19 in every other game with six of at least 21.
Four players are scoring in double figures led by 17 per night from Nia Vanzant, the fourth-leading scorer in the league. She has made 50 percent of her attempts from the field this season and been in double figures in all eight outings highlighted by a season-high 23 in the opener against Clayton State.
Catilyn Ross leads the country with 8.4 assists per game dishing out six per game with two outings of at least 10 including 14 against King on Nov. 16. The senior has been in double figures four times putting up 22 against Clayton State in 45 minutes on the floor.
Broadcast coverage airs on Mountain Talk 106.3 FM and cneagles.com/live starting at 1:45 p.m. with "The AEC Countdown to Tip-Off" courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network. Video is available with your subscription to FloSports.
- CN -
