VIDEO: Campbell Penland Interview
VIDEO: Braelyn Wykle Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – With Carson-Newman trailing with two minutes to go, Lindsey Taylor and Braelyn Wykle stepped up with back-to-back three-point plays to move Carson-Newman (22-8) past Lenoir-Rhyne (21-8) and into the South Atlantic Conference championship game.
After a Blaikely Crooks layup, C-N trailed by three points with 1:23 to go. That's when C-N's two All-SAC players delivered in the clutch. Taylor missed her first layup attempt but snared down the offensive rebound and made the second try while getting fouled. She completed the three-point play with a free throw to tie the game.
A defensive stop got C-N the basketball back and then it was Wykle's turn to step up. The two-time All-American dribbled through traffic and buried a free-throw line jump shot through contact with three seconds to play. The guard finished off the three-point play to lift the Lady Eagles into the championship game tomorrow.
. @B_Wykle gives the Eagles the lead & the WIN
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) March 7, 2024
�� @CNwbasketball 60
�� @LRUWBB 57
FINAL pic.twitter.com/Bi2Cp4SbrO
"We knew it was going to be a tough road to beat an Anderson and then LR to make it to the championship game," Carson-Newman women's basketball head coach Mike Mincey said. "At halftime, I didn't like the looks on our face. It almost felt like they were beat at half. I told them our top two scorers have only made two baskets. It's almost prophetic that at the end it was Lindsey Taylor and Braelyn Wykle that finished this thing out. Those were clutch players from All-American caliber players. I'm so proud of them."
Wykle's basket was just her third of the game in eleven attempts finishing with nine points.
"It was definitely all about confidence," Wykle said. "I've been here 5 years. They had the confidence in me not to call a timeout and to set up a play. They didn't call a timeout at the end. They just expected somebody, or me, to make a play, and that's exactly what happened. In that moment, I wasn't thinking that I was 3 of 11 from the field, I was thinking that I need to step up and make this shot."
It's only the 14th time under Mincey that C-N has won when trailing with two minutes to go the game and first time this year. It's also the first time Carson-Newman has won a game decided by one possession.
The Lady Eagles return to the SAC title game for the second time in the last three seasons.
The win is the 900th win in program history and has 21, 20-win seasons.
Carson-Newman got out to a quick offensive start making three of its first four baskets in the first 90 seconds. However, that did not last. C-N closed the quarter by making just two of its final nine shots and trailed by two points after the opening quarter.
The Bears continued to play quality defense, holding C-N to just three baskets more than five minutes into the quarter but the Lady Eagles only trailed by three with 4:31 left in the half. Back to back three-pointers from Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Braelyn Wykle (Greeneville, Tenn.) gave Carson-Newman its first lead of the second quarter with 68 seconds left. Two LR free throws put the Bears up by one at intermission.
The Lady Eagles managed to grab seven offensive rebounds but only scored five points off of those extra opportunities that were created.
C-N scored the first five points after halftime to grab an early four-point lead but the Bears scored seven of the next nine points to get back in front with 4:51 remaining in the third quarter. Thanks to Penland's hot shooting, C-N heated up from distance to end the quarter. Penland hit back to baskets, one of which was a three-pointer to tie the game at 38. Alvey and Wykle then followed with back to back triples and the Lady Eagles led by one after three quarters.
Jayda Glass scored five straight early in the period for LR and C-N's deficit was quickly four with 6:30 to play. The two teams went back and forth before C-N rattled off those final six points to secure the three-point victory. The Lady Eagles offense made five of their eight shots in the fourth quarter and all six of their free throws.
Penland paced the C-N offense by scoring 19 points, all of which came from the second quarter and on. Alvey and Taylor also finished in double-figures with 11 and 12, respectively.
The Lady Eagles only shot 38% from the field, winning for just the second time this season when getting outshot by an opponent.
C-N overcame 17 turnovers and poor shooting by crashing the boards. Mincey's team outrebounded Lenoir-Rhyne by 15 and got nine more offensive rebounds. Those nine extra opportunities turned into 15 second chance points for the Lady Eagles.
Lenoir-Rhyne was led by Blaikely Crooks who scored a team-high 19 points on nine for 17 shooting. Emily Harman also scored in double-figures with 12 points.
Carson-Newman will now get ready to play its third game in three days as it battles Wingate for the SAC title. Tipoff between the Lady Eagles and Bulldogs is slated for 4:00 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 3:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mountain Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
