VIDEO: Makayla Alvey Interview
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (18-6, 15-5 SAC) made its second-most three-pointers in a game this season to win a fourth straight over Tusculum (8-15, 6-14 SAC) with an 89-60 win Wednesday night inside Pioneer Arena.
"All the credit goes to our players," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "Taking the game that we play at home, which is usually pretty good, and doing that on the road. The girls shot it freely and they know they have the green light. They shot it well and that was what the defense was giving us. Every three-point shot I thought we took was open and we certainly made them pay."
Carson-Newman made 15 of its 30 three-point field goal attempts, its most made triples in a game since drilling 15 in a loss to Catawba last February.
The Lady Eagles snap a two-game losing streak on the road and have won seven road games this season.
Leading the shooting barrage was Makayla Alvey (Dandridge, Tenn.). The senior guard made a career-high five three-pointers and led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds for her third career double-double.
"I've been in the gym a lot trying to get as many reps in as possible," Alvey said. "I stepped into those shots without thinking about it and it just flowed. I think that's why it worked out so well for me today."
Seven other Lady Eagles helped in the three-point barrage. Tori Rutherford (Rutledge, Tenn.) nailed three triples and finished with 17 points. While Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) each made two threes and finished with eight points.
Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) did her scoring in the second half where she scored 12 of her 14 points on five of ten shooting from the field.
Carson-Newman came out blistering hot from three-point range in the first quarter and that helped create early separation. Penland, Sullivan and Rutherford combined four three-pointers during a 12-0 run to lead 17-4 with 4:30 to play in the first. Six different Lady Eagles helped drill eight first quarter three-pointers to lead by 16 after one period.
Tusculum would respond with a scoring run of its own early in the second quarter. The Pioneers went on an 8-0 scoring run and made it a single-digit game again with 6:55 left in the first half. C-N would have a response right back though. Mincey's team went on another long run, a 14-0 run that spanned nearly four minutes to ballon the lead to 23 and eventually 20 at intermission. Alvey scored ten of C-N's 14 points during the long scoring run.
"They always find a way to get back into games," Mincey said. "When they do get down, they have talented offensive players and the ability to get back into games and did so by cutting it to nine. It really benefitted us calling that timeout and seeing us responded and get the margin back to 20 by half."
The Lady Eagles maintained their halftime lead into the third quarter. Both teams traded baskets through the first media break of the second half and it was 56-35. C-N led by as many as 25 points but then saw Tusculum score 10 of the final 12 points of the third quarter to lead by 17 heading into the fourth quarter.
C-N would not allow TU to have any hope in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 of the first 28 points of the period to lead by 29 with 4:49 to play and eventually win 89-60. Every time TU had a smidge of hope, C-N would answer with a run.
1⃣5⃣three-pointers, second-most in a game this year
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) February 13, 2025
4⃣double-figure scorers
3⃣rd career double-double for @Malvey14
Lady Eagles have won three straight games������@CNwbasketball x #TalonsUp pic.twitter.com/4oFARcpfNz
C-N finished the game shooting 43 percent from the field. The Lady Eagles shot a better percentage from long range (15-30) than it did from inside the arc (15-40).
C-N was stout defensively holding Tusculum, the second-best scoring offense in the South Atlantic Conference, to just 60 points. It's TU's second-lowest scoring effort of the year and lowest at home this season.
The defense had success because it held the conference's top scorer Ni'Kiah Chesterfield to just 10 points on four of 15 shooting and five turnovers. Josie Horner led TU with 13 points and paced four double-digit scorers.
SCORIGAMI! The 89-60 final score is the 837th most unique score in program history.
Carson-Newman closes this week with a road matchup against Wingate. Tipoff between the Lady Eagles and Bulldogs is set for 2:00 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.
