Lady Eagles challenge #10 Coker in Hartsville
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (4-2, 1-0 SAC) begins the month of December against its third ranked foe of the season, traveling to #10 Coker (5-1, 1-0 SAC) Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
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JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (4-2, 1-0 SAC) begins the month of December against its third ranked foe of the season, traveling to #10 Coker (5-1, 1-0 SAC) Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
Carson-Newman heads to #10 Coker on a two-game winning streak after defeating Catawba 79-75 in the South Atlantic Conference opener last Saturday. Since joining the SAC, the Lady Eagles are 25-12 in SAC openers, while holding a 12-3 record under Mincey with wins in eight of their last nine.
The Lady Eagles posted an 8-6 record in road games this past season, their first winning season away from Holt Fieldhouse since 2021-22. Mincey's team won four of their first five road trips last year and two of their final three.
C-N is set to face its third ranked team in seven games to begin the year. It's the first time since 2022 that the program will face three or more ranked teams before Christmas. Since 2008, Carson-Newman is 23-25 against ranked teams. C-N's last road win over a ranked team was an 83-78 overtime victory over #21 Catawba on Jan 12, 2022. With a win over #14 North Georgia before Thanksgiving, Mincey's teams have defeated a ranked squad each of the past ten seasons.
Emily Gonzalez (Lenoir City, Tenn.) has played outstanding basketball during Carson-Newman's two-game winning streak. She has reset her career high in back-to-back games, scoring 22 in C-N's four-point win over Catawba in the SAC opener. During this winning streak, she is averaging 21.5 points, 7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game and is shooting above 50% from the field and from three-point range.
Through six games, the Lady Eagles have been the best free throw shooting team in DII making 83.2% of their foul shots this season. Last time out, C-N made 17 of its 18 attempts from the line. That 93% day from the charity stripe is the best mark on double-digit attempts since going 18 of 19 against Tusculum on January 11, 2023.
These two clubs met three times last season, both defending home court in the regular season. Coker won the most pivotal game, ending C-N's season with a 48-44 win in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals. Carson-Newman led 30-20 at halftime but made just five of its 29 shots in the second half and scored just 14 points. That final score was the second-lowest combined scoring total in a C-N women's basketball game in the program's history. The Lady Eagles lead the all-time series 18-5.
Coker was picked to repeat as South Atlantic Conference champions, picked first in the league's preseason coaches' poll. The Cobras are coming off their best season in program history, winning the SAC regular season title and continued that success into the NCAA Tournament and winning the Southeast Regional title.
The reigning region champions are 5-1 after the first month of the season, with four of those five wins coming in non-conference play. Their lone loss was a 72-69 loss to Augusta at home on Nov. 25. Coker bounced back by defeating Tusculum 72-45 one week ago. Saturday will be its first home game since that three-point home loss to Augusta. Coker has not dropped back-to-back home games since January of 2024. They have won 18 of their past 19 home contests.
Reigning SAC Player of the Year Shawnteanna Tillman is back for head coach Melissa Devore's team. She is having a fantastic season, averaging 23.0 points per game and is eighth nationally with her 21 three-pointers. Despite the impressive scoring marks, Tillman makes just 37 percent of her shots and takes 20 per game.
Kamari Thompson is another key player for the Cobras. She leads the SAC in rebounds and her 15 blocks are second in the league and 13th nationally.
The Cobras are the second-best offensive rebounding team in the conference, grabbing 14 per game. They've snared down double-digit offensive rebounds in all six of their games this season.
Tipoff with the Cobras is set for 2 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. A live camera of the broadcast crew "On Press Row" will also be available on YouTube.
Team Stats
#10 Coker
| Game Statistics | Carson-Newman | #10 Coker |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (20-61) | (25-67) |
| Field Goal % | 32.8% | 37.3% |
| Rebounds | 41 | 48 |
| Assists | 12 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 16 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 12 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 9 | 13 |
| Pts in the Paint | 26 | 30 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 7 | 12 |
| Bench Pts | 21 | 11 |
