Defense straps, Lady Eagles hold off Bearcats in season opener
November 12, 2023

Defense straps, Lady Eagles hold off Bearcats in season opener

Led by three double figure scorers and solid defense, Carson-Newman (1-0) was able to overcome shooting woes and get past Lander (0-1) in the SAC/PBC challenge to begin the 2023-24 season.

VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Mike Mincey Interview

VIDEO: Braelyn Wykle Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Led by three double figure scorers and solid defense, Carson-Newman (1-0) was able to overcome shooting woes and get past Lander (0-1) in the SAC/PBC challenge to begin the 2023-24 season.

"This was a tough one at home," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "This one certainly could've gone the other way. We are just fortunate to get the W."

Carson-Newman is now 34-12 in season openers and has won 11 of its last 12 openers. The Lady Eagles stay unbeaten when playing at home in the SAC/PBC challenge, improving to 5-0.

Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.) paced three double-figure scorers with 14 points and nailing a pair of triples. Braelyn Wykle (Greeneville, Tenn.) followed in behind with 13 points. Lindsey Taylor went three of six from the field but made seven free throws to also pitch in 13 points and corralling 10 rebounds. The double-double is Lindsey's 16th in her career.

Both teams got out to a slow start on the offensive end. The Lady Eagles were held to just three first quarter field goals and trailed 10-7 at the end of the opening quarter.

After being held scoreless in the first two minutes of the second quarter, a Lindsey Taylor and one got the Lady Eagles going in the 2nd. Defense began to help the offense, as C-N went on an 11-0 that spanned more than five minutes of the period. A pair of Tori Rutherford steals and layups started the run, and a Campbell Penland three-pointer and Ruthie Mbugua layup finished the important second quarter stretch. The Lady Eagles held Lander scoreless for five and a half minutes to help build a 25-18 halftime lead.

"That sequence changed the momentum of the first half for sure," Mincey said. "We were struggling, only scoring seven points in the first quarter. It's not like we are talking about stuff from last year. That steal, layup, steal and layup and then I think Sky (Skylar Boshears) hit her on a back cut and she was able to drop those free throws to get the six points. You almost could say that those were saving plays because it helped us get it to a seven-point lead there at the half."

Lander drew within a point on multiple occasions in the third quarter, but C-N did not allow the Bearcats to get in any closer. Makayla Alvey made a layup as the buzzer sounded in the third period to keep the Lady Eagles ahead by seven heading to the fourth quarter.

Carson-Newman was able to keep Lander at arm's length in the fourth quarter. The reason for not allowing the Bearcats to draw any closer than five points was because of defense, which only allowed three field goals in the first six and a half minutes of the quarter. The Bearcats made a pair of three-point field goals in the final minute, but it was a little to late as the Lady Eagles held on for an eight-point win.

The Lady Eagles were held to 35% shooting from the field and 19% from beyond the arc, but did make 20 free throws in the win. It's just the 14th time C-N has won a game when scoring less than 60 points under Mincey. It happened just one time last year, a 59-45 road win against Lincoln Memorial.

Defensively, C-N locked in by holding Lander to 39% from the field and 35% from three-point range. The defense forced 17 turnovers and scored 16 points off Lander mistakes. C-N also stole the ball away nine times in the victory.

The Lady Eagles were also effective on the glass, winning the rebounding battle by 16. The Lady Eagles gained that advantage because of 19 offensive rebounds. Another distinct advantage was at the free throw line, where C-N went 20-29 from the charity stripe, while Lander managed just ten foul shots and made only four of them.

Off the bench, Tanyia Gordon led Lander with 14 points making seven of her 19 shots and also grabbing a team-high seven boards. WyKira Kelly-Johnon scored 12 points and Quadaija Langley pitched in eleven to round out the Bearcats' double-figure scoring.

The Lady Eagles close out the SAC/PBC challenge with a matchup against USC Aiken tomorrow afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. with airtime starting at approximately 3:15 p.m. with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off". All the games this season can be heard on the Eagle Sports Network with video coverage available on FloSports.

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