VIDEO: Lindsey Taylor Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – We conclude our preview of the Carson-Newman women's basketball team with a look at the front court with help from graduate student forward Lindsey Taylor.
With one more season of eligibility because of the Covid 19 pandemic and a medical redshirt, Taylor elected to utilize that extra season and take the floor for one last time in her collegiate career.
"It's all about my teammates and coaches," Taylor said. "I love playing with them and love having the opportunity to play with them. Especially with how we ended last year on such a great note. I wanted to see what we could do this year."
In 88 games with Carson-Newman, the graduate student forward scored 1,276 points, ranking 13th all-time on the career scoring list. She enters her final season nine points away from 12th and 83 away from tenth all-time. She has scored in double-figures in 74 of the 88 games she has played in.
The Maryville native is coming off a 2023-24 season where she scored 14.7 points per game on 59.8% shooting, the fifth-most efficient scorer in DII. Taylor has shot better than 57% in every season she has played in at Carson-Newman. She scored in double-figures 25 times last season and nine 20-point nights and a pair of 30+ point games. Taylor raised her free throw percentage up to 66% in 2023-24, seven percent higher than her career average.
Taylor also was a high-level rebounder, grabbing seven per game for the ninth best rebounding team in DII. She had seven games with ten or boards and has 23 in her C-N career. Taylor led her team in rebounding 13 different times.
"I definitely have to give credit to my teammates," Taylor said. "Everyone is always doing their role. The shooting from the outside helps us be effective inside. It really helps out inside when we have such great shooters."
Carson-Newman will be without the services of junior forward Keeleigh Rogers, who suffered a season-ending injury this preseason. In her first two seasons with the Lady Eagles, Rogers played in all 63 games making 17 starts and has been one of C-N's top rebounders averaging close to six per game.
"She is one of our stronger defenders," Taylor said. "She guards well on the perimeter and can guard well on the inside. And then rebounding, she is one of our better rebounders, so losing that is going to be hard, but I'm sure everyone is going to step up and do their parts."
Looking to help feel the void in the front court is sophomore Mattie Nuckolls. As a freshman, she played in 29 games, averaging nine minutes per game. She scored 3.5 points per game and shot 43.6% from the field. Nuckolls was in double-figures three times, the first of which was a career-high 14 points against Newberry at home on Jan 7.
"You could really see Mattie grow and take on a bigger role last year," Taylor said. "She has such a high IQ and reads plays so well on the offensive side. And then on defensive she is so long and gets in there rebounds and does what she needs to do."
Kali McMahan is another one of the upperclassmen returning up front for C-N. She has 37 career appearances and averages more than two points per game.
Abigail Johnson works into the fold this season, after missing all of her true freshman season with an injury. Johnson was the runner-up for the Class 3A Miss Basketball award after posting 15.5 points and 9.7 rebounds as a senior shooting 65 percent from the field. In her career, the post player tallied 1,570 points and 1,107 rebounds racking up 32 double-doubles.
"It's been great going against her," Taylor said. "She has been a great challenge for me and is super strong. Reading off of each other and just learning how to play off of each other because we are great competition for each other. I feel like we have both grown a lot over this preseason."
Carson-Newman begins the 2024-25 season against Lander on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 4:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on MIX 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
