Sullivan shines as C-N resets season highs in win over Tusculum
January 28, 2026

Sullivan shines as C-N resets season highs in win over Tusculum

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman senior guard Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) scorched the nets for a career-high 33 points to pace the Lady Eagles (15-5, 11-2 SAC) to their most efficient and highest-scoring game of the year in a 107-80 win over Tusculum (2-17, 2-11 SAC) on Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse.

VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Mike Mincey Interview

VIDEO: Jennifer Sullivan Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman senior guard Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) scorched the nets for a career-high 33 points to pace the Lady Eagles (15-5, 11-2 SAC) to their most efficient and highest-scoring game of the year in a 107-80 win over Tusculum (2-17, 2-11 SAC) on Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse.

Carson-Newman's 56.8 percent shooting is the highest in a game this year and that was paired with a season-high 107 points as well. It's the sixth time this season C-N has shot 50 percent or better and the third time reached the century mark in scoring.

"We got off to a bad start," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "Give a lot of credit to Tusculum, they've had a tough year and those kids came in and fought hard. We carried a double-digit lead for most of the third, just couldn't get away. It was a weird feeling game, obviously Jenn (Sullivan) played extremely well. 18 in the first half and 15 in the second to reset her career-high. Glad she came to play and we got great production from the bench. I just didn't feel like we played great, even though we ended up shooting the ball well and put up a big number."

Once Sullivan found her shot, it was over for Tusculum. She made just one of her first four shots and had just three points in the first frame. From the second quarter on, Sullivan would go on to make 11 of her final 13 shots, highlighted by a 15-point second quarter. The senior guard reset her career-high with 33 points and made 12 of her 17 shots. She drilled six three-pointers and was six for seven on shots inside the arc.

"My confidence is exactly where it needs to be," Sullivan said. "I am going to take what the defense gives me all night and I feel like the way I've been playing it all comes to me more. I know what shots I am going to have. The more games we play, the better insight I get on that."

The Lady Eagles have now won six straight games against the Pioneers and all six have come by double-figures. C-N's home winning streak extends to 14 games.

C-N made its first two shots, but would go cold after that. The Lady Eagles made just two of their next ten shots, but still led by five with 3:48 to play in the first frame. A quick five points from Karli Haworth pushed the lead back out to seven, but the Pioneers made the last surge of the first. They made the final two baskets and forced C-N to miss its final four shots to make it a three-point game after the first stanza.

Tusculum's lone lead of the game last for 10 seconds early in the second quarter. Keeleigh Rogers made a layup which ignited a 9-0 scoring run to put C-N up eight halfway through the frame. More scoring runs would help increase the lead. Sullivan scored four of C-N's seven points during a 7-0 burst to push the lead to 13 with 4 minutes remaining in the half. Another 7-0 burst came in the final 48 seconds. Sullivan drilled a running three-point jump as the buzzer sounded to make it a 15-point game at intermission.

The two teams were trading haymakers to start the second half. By the first media break, TU had made six of its eight shots while C-N had made four of its first six shots to still lead by 14. The Pioneers got within ten, but C-N held a 11-8 advantage in the final three minutes of the third to lead by 13 entering the fourth quarter. TU shot 69 percent in the third but C-N was better at 75 percent.

C-N's offense continued to feast into the fourth stanza. It made nine of its first 11 shots including three of its four three-pointers to lead by 27 at the final media timeout. Sullivan capped the 14-0 run with her sixth and final three-pointer. Fittingly, C-N made its final five shots of the game to score a season-high 107 points to win by 27.

Another efficient scoring day meant another game with double-digit threes made, the seventh of the season. C-N made 11 of its 28 three-pointers, making seven of those in the first half.

In her first career start, Cybil Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.) reset her career-high for the second straight game, scoring 11 points on five of seven shooting. Karli Haworth (Maryville, Tenn.) and Mattie Nuckolls (Chatsworth, Ga.) also scored in double-figures with 11 and 10, respectively. Overall, nine different Lady Eagles scored six points or more.

Carson-Newman set season-highs in points off turnovers with 33 and in fastbreak points with 36. C-N committed just nine turnovers to TU's 22. 

Tusculum's offense went toe to toe with C-N all night. Their 48.3 percent shooting matched a season-high to go along with a season-high 80 points. Aisha Patel led four double figures for TU with 15 points on three made triples.

Carson-Newman is back on the floor Friday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. versus Coker. The game will be broadcast on the Eagle Sports Network. Airtime is 1:45 p.m. for the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Talk 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloWbb.  Fans can also watch courtside on the ESN with a view of the broadcast crew on press row. 

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