VIDEO: Mattie Nuckolls Interview
GAFFNEY, S.C. – Carson-Newman (10-1, 8-1 SAC) extended its winning streak to four games by collecting its first road win ever at Limestone (4-7, 1-7 SAC), winning 69-55 on Wednesday afternoon at the Timken Center.
"When you're at a place where you've struggled to pull out victories, a win is good enough," Carson-Newman women's basketball head coach Mike Mincey said. "When you go on the road, it is hard to go put up big scoring numbers. Our identity is starting to change. We have played much better defense while still pressing and being able to get back and recover. I'm just proud of how they are getting in a stance, defending ball screens and defending the paint. That is why we have won these past two games."
Carson-Newman ended its struggles at the Timken Center, winning for the first time in six meetings in Gaffney.
C-N's defense limited Limestone to 35 percent shooting and only 12 points in the paint, matching the fewest points in the paint by an opponent this season.
Just like the first meeting, Carson-Newman forced more turnovers than it committed and scored off the Limestone miscues. 22 Saints turnovers led to 21 Lady Eagles points.
Emily Gonzalez (Lenoir City, Tenn.) led C-N's defensive effort, with a game-high three steals. She has recorded multiple steals in six straight games.
The Lady Eagles got their scoring from a variety of players. Tori Rutherford (Rutledge, Tenn.) and Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) each scored a team-high 11 points making five field goals. Mattie Nuckolls (Chatsworth, Ga.) rounded out C-N's double-figure scorers with 10 points and a career-high seven rebounds. Four others had at least six points as well.
"We have been spreading the scoring out and its helped us do really well," Nuckolls said. "Relying on one person is never good. Having the balanced effort is more reliable and it's really helped us."
Carson-Newman has now surpassed its road win total from last season, improving to 5-1 and has won three straight road contests. Four of the five road wins have come by double-digits.
Limestone gained the early advantage thanks to six straight points and led 8-6 at the first media break. C-N forced the Saints into six turnovers over the final four minutes of the first quarter and led by three.
The Lady Eagles used their defense to score 11 of the first 13 points in the second quarter and lead 28-18 with 4:33 left until intermission. Carson-Newman's lead extended to 15 thanks to a 10-2 scoring run. The Saints would respond to score seven of the final nine points of the half to make it a 40-30 game at halftime.
Carson-Newman has led at halftime in all 11 games this season.
It was a back and forth start to the third quarter, but C-N rattled off five straight points over a two-minute stretch to lead 49-34 with 4:30 left in the third quarter. Johnson scored six straight points for C-N in 60 seconds to help keep the lead at 15. A Penland three-pointer in the final minute gave Carson-Newman a 17-point advantage after three quarters.
The Lady Eagles went more than six minutes without a basket in the fourth quarter but used their defense to never allow the Saints to draw within single digits. A Makayla Alvey (Dandridge, Tenn.) layup and two Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.) free throws helped break the scoring drought to seal the road win.
Once again, C-N shot a better percentage than its opponent (44.4% to Limestone's 34.6%). It is the 24th straight win when the Lady Eagles shoot better than their opponent.
Carson-Newman took extreme care of the basketball, committing a season-low nine turnovers. Lindsey Taylor's (Maryville, Tenn.) four assists were a team-high, with two others finishing with three.
Limestone was led by Kalisha Hill, who recorded her third double-double of the year with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
This final score was not a scorigami and occurs for just the second time in program history.
Carson-Newman closes the first semester with a top 20 showdown against No. 18/15 North Georgia on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 1:30. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 1:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on MIX 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
