VIDEO: Carson-Newman vs Lincoln Memorial Highlights Jan 2024
VIDEO: Carson-Newman vs Lincoln Memorial Full Broadcast Replay Jan 2024
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The South Atlantic Conference's top scoring offense meets the lowest scoring defense, when Carson-Newman (11-3, 8-2 SAC) takes the floor at Holt Fieldhouse against Lincoln Memorial (5-7, 4-5 SAC) on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m.
Carson-Newman has the fifth-best scoring offense in the country at 83.5 points per game and leads DII in assists per game at 20.2, while also holding the 12th best assist to turnover ratio at 1.24. Defensively, C-N forces a league-best 24 turnovers per game and leads the conference in steals per game with 12.9.
On the flipside, the Railsplitters have the number one scoring defense in the conference, allowing just 59 points per game. Only one team has scored more than 70 points in a game. Teams have struggled to shoot threes against LMU, who is number one nationally in three-point percentage defense at 20.9. No team has made more than five three-pointers in a game against LMU this season.
C-N has won 20 straight games at home dating back to the beginning of the 2023-24 season. This season, Mincey's squad is 5-0 and averages 95.6 points per game, shooting 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from long range. The average margin of victory at home this season is 25. During the 20-game home winning streak, C-N is beating teams by 22 points on average.
Carson-Newman is coming off its third loss of the season. After its first two losses of the year, C-N responded with wins and scored 94 and 114 points in those bounce back efforts.
Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) is eighth on the all-time scoring list with 1,418 career points. She is 19 points away from passing Karen Miracle for seventh-most in program history.
Campbell Penland's (Sevierville, Tenn.) 1,188 career points is 21st in school history. She is just two points from passing Kailyn Brooks on the scoring list. Penland ranks first in the South Atlantic Conference in three-pointers made (36), three-point percentage (42.9) and three-point pointers made per game (2.5).
The Lady Eagles have won five of the last six meetings with the Railsplitters and three consecutive at Holt Fieldhouse. Mincey's club leads the all-time series 58-37 and is 36-15 in Mossy Creek against LMU.
Lincoln Memorial secured its first win in a month by beating Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory this past Saturday 63-50. The road victory snapped a four-game losing streak in conference play. The Railsplitters are 5-7 this season and are 4-5 in the league. Despite the seven losses overall and five in league games, LMU has been competitive, with all but two of those games being decided by single digits. One of those two double-digit losses was in double OT against Newberry on Dec. 14.
Devan Carter's team has found its most success when playing away from Harrogate. Three of their five wins are on the road. Dating back to last season, LMU has won six of their last seven road South Atlantic Conference games.
All-SAC guard Alexa Smiddy is the team's top scorer at 15 points per game. She has drilled a team-high 27 triples and leads the team in assists as well with 50. The junior guard has scored 20 points or more in four of her last five games. Kamil Collier scores 12.6 points and grabs 9.5 rebounds per game. She has five double doubles this season.
Tipoff between the Lady Eagles and Railsplitters is set for 5:30 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 5:15 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on MIX 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloWBB.
