Lady Eagles Open at UNC Tonight
Nov. 4, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The Carson-Newman women's basketball team will begin its 2008-09 season this week with a pair of exhibition games against some of the best competition the NCAA Division I level has to offer.
The Lady Eagles will travel to the University of North Carolina this evening for a 7 p.m. tip-off. UNC is coached by Carson-Newman alum Sylvia Hatchell (1974), who has been named the national coach of the year three times.
Thursday night, the Lady Eagles will make the short trip to Knoxville to take on the defending national champion University of Tennessee. That game is also scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
"We are excited and ready to play against UNC and UT," said Carson-Newman head coach Dean Walsh. We are hoping that some things we are trying to do work against the two top programs in the country, knowing that if we can have some success against them then we could have a lot of success against our schedule."
"A few of the girls have really stepped their game up and I'm anxious to see them perform on the big stage."
Carson-Newman was picked third in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Junior Shari Buford was named to the preseason All-SAC first team, while senior sharpshooter Ashley Tipton was a second-team selection.
The Lady Eagles will open their regular season at home on November 15 and 16 as they host the Eagle Club Classic. Carson-Newman will play Lander that Saturday at 4 p.m., followed by a match-up with Lees-McRae the following day.
