No. 22 Carson-Newman Wins 10th Straight, Defeating USC Aiken, 78-64, On The Road Saturday

AIKEN, S.C. – No. 22 Carson-Newman (10-0) remained perfect on the season Saturday afternoon as it downed USC Aiken (5-5) by a 78-64 score at the USC Aiken Convocation Center. The Lady Eagles shot 42 percent (28-for-67) from the floor and 82 percent (14-for-17) from the free throw line and hit a season-high eight three-pointers in the contest.

“We got another good road win,” said Head Coach Dean Walsh. “We were focused today and came ready to play against a good team that beat No. 23 Lenoir-Rhyne Thursday night.”

The two teams traded leads in the first half until the 10:32 mark, when the Lady Eagles went on a 13-3 run over the next 3:46 to take the first double-digit lead of the contest at 31-20. Carson-Newman would lead 41-29 at the break. Freshman guard Candis Clear (Memphis, Tenn.) had 13 points off the bench in the first half, connecting on three shots from behind the arc in just 12 minutes of play.

After the intermission, the Pacers began to chip away at the Lady Eagles’ lead, cutting the deficit to seven at 52-45 with 12:08 to go on a three-pointer by Lindsey Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn.). Carson-Newman responded with a 13-4 run over the next 4:44 to lead 65-49 on a free throw by sophomore guard Megan Hunter (Ashland City, Tenn.). Clear added two more treys during the run for the Lady Eagles.

A layup by USCA’s Hannah DeGraffinreed (Raleigh, N.C.) at the 2:20 mark cut the lead to 11 but six straight points by sophomore forward Zoriah Williams (Calera, Ala.) gave the Lady Eagles a 17-point lead with 59 seconds left that would carry them to the victory.

“They were 28-6 in their new building coming into today (since the 2007-08 season), so it’s an accomplishment to win here. I’m proud of our effort today and how we answered their runs with one of our own,” added Walsh.

Senior guard Ashley Kyle (Jefferson City, Tenn.) posted game-highs with 21 points and seven assists for the Lady Eagles and added six rebounds and two steals. Clear finished the day with a career-high 19 points on five three-pointers and added four assists and two steals.

“Our point guards put up 40 points and held theirs in check,” continued Walsh. “Ashley Kyle played a complete game and Candis shot extremely well. All of our guards stepped up and made shots today.”

C-N Junior guard Mandy Mendenhall (Kingston Springs, Tenn.) and sophomore guard Cassie Bates (Fremont, Calif.) had 14 and 11 points respectively while Williams finished with eight points led all players with 11 rebounds.

DeGraffinreed led the Pacers with 17 points and seven rebounds while Sundberg had eight points. Catherine Cain (Dayton, Ohio) and Kendra Chandler (Aiken, S.C.) each contributed eight points apiece as well for USC Aiken.

Carson-Newman will break for 11 days and the Christmas Holiday before returning to the hardwood for its seventh straight road contest. The Lady Eagles will complete their home-and-home series with the Jaguars of Augusta State on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.