VIDEO: Postgame Press Conference
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Six-seeded Carson-Newman (23-9) could not sustain its offensive success in the Southeast Regional Semifinals, falling to the two-seed #22 Coker (28-5) 48-44 on Saturday night at the UNG Convocation Center.
Carson-Newman's 44 points were a season-low and the third fewest points in a game in Mincey's 14-year tenure. The Lady Eagles shot a season-low 27 percent from the field, the lowest shooting percentage in seven seasons.
"It was a hard-fought defensive basketball game," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "For us, we've won so many games offensively and not defensively. Disappointed in our offensive execution throughout the game, but certainly in the second half. It certainly was not how we play basketball. I want to congratulate Coker and wish them well on Monday night."
Despite the loss, there were positive things that came in defeat. Carson-Newman held Coker to just 24 percent shooting. It matches the lowest shooting output by a C-N opponent since Wingate made just 24 of its shots on Dec 15, 2010. Bulldogs won 54-50 in that game.
Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) reset the program's single-game record for rebounds in a game with 24. 18 of those rebounds came on the defensive end and helped C-N outrebound Coker by 48-39. In her final game, Taylor breaks the previous record of 22 rebounds set on two different occasions by Kayla Marosites, most recently versus King on November 13, 2019.
The Cobras jumped out to the hot start, making their first three shots to lead 6-2 90 seconds into the game. C-N's defense settled in and forced Coker to miss seven of its final eight shots in the first quarter and it was a two-point Cobras advantage after the first 10 minutes.
Carson-Newman took hold of the lead early in the second quarter. It scored the first nine points of the period capped off by a Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) jump shot and the Lady Eagles led 19-12, just over three minutes into the second period. C-N maintained its good offensive pace in the second, shooting 50 percent from the field to score 20 points and lead 30-20 at intermission. Coker made just 2 of its 13 shots and scored just eight points in the second.
C-N scored on its first two offensive possessions in the second half. Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) made a layup and Sullivan buried a triple to push the lead quickly to 13. Rutherford made a jump shot shortly after and then the offense would be tough to come by. The Lady Eagles missed their final ten shots of the third quarter, but only trailed Coker by one point heading to the fourth. The Cobras scored 11 points in that six-minute stretch to end the third.
Unfortunately for C-N, shooting woes continued into the final quarter. It missed its first five shots of the fourth quarter. Finally, Sullivan made a layup with 4:34 left in the fourth quarter to end a stretch where Carson-Newman missed 15 straight shots and scored just point in a 12-minute stretch of the game. Luckily, C-N's defense forced Coker to miss its first eight shots of the fourth quarter and the game was tied at 40 with 4 minutes left.
Sullivan tied the game again with a mid-range jump shot with 2:43 left. Shawnteanna Tillman and Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.) traded one for two trips at the free throw line and the game was tied again at 43 with 42 seconds left. Next possession down, Coker's Kristynn Knight made a layup with 25 seconds to go, the game-winning basket. With eight seconds left, Penland had a chance to tie the game, but split her pair of free throws and Coker held on for a four-point win.
Sullivan paced three double-figure scorers with 11 points on four of 11 shooting. Tori Rutherford and Campbell Penland each scored 10 points. Makayla Alvey (Dandridge, Tenn.) snared down 10 rebounds for the eighth time in her career.
Coker was led by Mya Wasswa's 15 points, nine of her points came from the free throw line. There was a big discrepancy at the charity stripe. Coker made 21 of its 32 free throws, while C-N was only able to attempt 18 and make 11.
The regional semifinal loss ends the careers of Makayla Alvey (Dandridge, Tenn.), Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.), Tori Rutherford (Seymour, Tenn.) and Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.). Penland ends her career tied for the ninth-most points in school history and third-most three-pointers, while Taylor wraps up her Lady Eagle career fourth on the scoring list and sixth on the all-time rebounding list.
"Well, they are competitors, and they are good people," Mincey said. "They have built a great culture for the future. These seniors have taken me on a great ride and it has been a joy to coach them. Anytime you have seniors go, it is sad to see them go. But I told them it's not a sad day. You want to cheer them on as they go into their next journey in their life. They are always going to be Lady Eagles and I am proud of what they have been able to accomplish."
The 48-44 final score is the second lowest combined scoring total in a Carson-Newman women's basketball game in the program's 44-year history.
For offseason news and information about Carson-Newman women's basketball, follow @CN_Eagles on Twitter and check cneagles.com for updates.
