VIDEO: Jennifer Sullivan Interview
VIDEO: Lindsey Taylor Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No.15/6 Carson-Newman (11-2) put together a complete performance to crush Glenville State (8-4) 114-64 in a New Year's Day non-conference contest at Holt Fieldhouse.
Carson-Newman extends its the third-longest active home winning streak in the country to 20 games with the 50-point win.
"We did everything well today," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "I'm really impressed with how we took care of the basketball. They (GSU) turn people over 33 times per game. We had 25 today but we had 37 assists. We were just so good with the ball in breaking the pressure and into the frontcourt and getting points in the paint. Not really a whole lot to complain about."
Carson-Newman erupted for 114 points, its most in a game this season and is tied for fifth-most in a game in program history. The superb scoring day was highlighted by the program's second-most efficient day in school history. C-N shot 64.8 percent from the field and was above 50 percent in each quarter. For a majority of the game, Carson-Newman was shooting above the program's record for field goal percentage which is 67.9 percent set back on Feb. 10, 2018, against Queens.
Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) led Carson-Newman's offense. Sullivan finished with 22 points on eight for 10 shooting, while nailing all four of her triples. Taylor scored more than 20 points for the 25th time in her career, finishing with 21 points on nine for 10 shooting. Tori Rutherford scored 16 points and was seven for eight, while Makayla Alvey and Abigail Johnson (Cookeville, Tenn.) both scored 12 points. Carson-Newman's five double-figure scorers combined to shoot 34 for 43 (79%) from the field.
"I thought we kept our composure very well," Sullivan said. "especially with all the pressure they applied, that is their mo. We knew that coming into the game and we just relaxed and focused on taking care of the ball. That helped us out a lot and then shots were obviously falling as well."
The efficiency and high-scoring output was in large part to Carson-Newman's ability to pass the basketball effectively. The Lady Eagles finished with 37 assists, one shy of tying the program record for assists in a game. Emily Gonzalez (Lenoir City, Tenn.) finished with a career-high nine dimes, while Tori Rutherford (Rutledge, Tenn.) and Makayla Alvey (Dandridge, Tenn.) each had six.
"It's all about is Carson-Newman getting the score," Mincey said. "They knew what we were up against today. We played the Lady Vols and that is where this style came from. We were going to take what the defense gave us and the girls did a great job of that. When you do that, you have the capability of scoring 114 points.
The game was back and forth throughout much of the opening quarter. All six times the game was tied and the seven lead changes came in the first nine minutes. C-N closed the opening frame on an 11-1 scoring run in the final 100 seconds of the first quarter to lead by eight.
Carson-Newman never went on a scoring run greater than seven points but managed to score 29 more points in the second quarter and held Glenville State to just 16 to gain a 21-point lead at intermission. Carson-Newman's 58 first-half points were tied for the most in a half in any game this season. C-N was a ridiculous 68.6 percent from the field in the opening half.
The third quarter is when the game turned on its head completely. C-N started the second half on a 16-5 run in the first four minutes to lead by 32. Sullivan nailed three three-pointers during the impressive start to the third quarter. It also closed the period just as well as it started. Mincey's crew scored 16 of the final 19 points of the third and led 94-52.
The Lady Eagles continued to run away from the Pioneers into the fourth quarter. C-N started the fourth quarter by scoring 14 of the first 17 points to gain a 108-55 advantage with four minutes to play. The largest lead of the game was 57 and came with 1:21 left in the contest.
2⃣0⃣ straight home wins
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) January 1, 2025
5⃣th most points in a game in school history
2⃣nd most assists in a game in school history
2⃣nd most efficient shooting day in school history
Safe to say the Lady Eagles kicked the new year off well��✅@CNwbasketball x #TalonsUp pic.twitter.com/Olr6iZ5nfj
C-N's offense was not the only story of the game. The defense held the second-highest scoring offense in the country to its second lowest scoring output of the year and limited them to 33.8 percent shooting, its third lowest in a game this season.
Mincey's squad forced 34 turnovers and scored 40 points off turnovers. They also recorded 70 points in the paint and 55 fastbreak points, going +44 and +38 in those categories against the Pioneers. C-N is unbeaten this season when it scores more points off turnovers and shoots a better field goal percentage than its opponent.
Glenville State was paced by Ashlyn Riley's 11 points and seven rebounds.
Carson-Newman is back on the floor on Saturday afternoon for a ranked matchup with #23 Coker. Tipoff between the Lady Eagles and Cobras is set for 2 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 1:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on MIX 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
