Top two SAC clubs square off in Cuddy Arena
WINGATE, N.C. – Two of the hottest teams in the league square off in a one versus two matchup in South Atlantic Conference action on Saturday at 2 p.m. when Carson-Newman travels to No. 17 Wingate, winners of 15 straight games, tied for the longest winning streak in the country.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
18 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 58 |
|
|
13 | 22 | 14 | 25 | 74 |
WINGATE, N.C. – Two of the hottest teams in the league square off in a one versus two matchup in South Atlantic Conference action on Saturday at 2 p.m. when Carson-Newman travels to No. 17 Wingate, winners of 15 straight games, tied for the longest winning streak in the country.
"One of the biggest things is not getting outscored by 12 points at the free-throw line," Carson-Newman coach Mike Mincey said. "If we can see how the game is going to be officiated and adjust and not put them at the free-throw. Being on the road we need to try to get to the free-throw line if we can. [Bryana] Troutman is having a great year. She is definitely the thing that makes them go. I've heard people talk about great players as a unicorn and she is. She is one of the most unique players with guard skills at her height with great ability to get inside with great footwork. It was a great game here. They are hot and are playing very well so it's going to be another challenge for us to go over there and try to steal one."
Carson-Newman (15-3, 12-2) has won three straight road games against top 25 foes after beating No. 21 Catawba 10 days ago. The last setback came at 15th-ranked North Georgia on Nov. 23, 2019, 67-62. Four of the last five contests against ranked foes have went to overtime with the Orange and Blue prevailing in three of the four.
Overall, Saturday will be the 32nd time in the last 15 years that the Orange and Blue will play a ranked foe holding a 18-13 record that includes a 8-5 mark on the road and a 9-5 margin in the SAC regular season. Under Mincey, the Lady Eagles are 16-10 including a 7-3 tally away from home.
This weekend's contest is the 81st meeting with Wingate (15-1, 13-0) holding a 45-35 advantage and a 21-14 lead in games played at Cuddy Arena. The Lady Eagles have won in back-to-back visits to the Tar Heel State after losing six in a row. The only time in the series history that the program has won three in a row was in 1992-93.
When the teams first met on Nov. 27, there were 12 lead changes and seven ties with the Bulldogs closing out the game with five unanswered points to break a 76-all tie after C-N trailed by nine with four minutes to play spoiling the comeback bid. C-N forced 19 turnovers leading to 29 points off of those giveaways.
�� Hustle from @cjpen14
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) January 20, 2022
�� Clutch bucket by @Malvey14
��♀️ @CNwbasketball Buzzer Beater pic.twitter.com/IbAhMrbAPO
Coach Ann Hancock's team is riding a 15-game winning streak tied with Glenville State and Savannah State for the longest stretch in Division II. Louisville's 15-game mark at Division I leads the way at the level and three teams at the Division III level have more in a row. It is the longest streak by the program since winning 17 straight in 1990-91.
The tilt features the top two scoring teams in the conference with C-N ranking third in the country and Wingate sitting in the No. 32 slot. The Bulldogs lead the country in three-point percentage making 41 percent making over six per game. It is making 45 percent from the field but lost its only game when shooting 61 percent against Francis Marion in the opener.
Bryana Troutman is putting together a season worthy of the SAC's Player of the Year award scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds per game. She has seven games of at least 20 and has logged three double-doubles. Here 52 percent shooting from the field is second to Lindsey Taylor's (Maryville, Tenn.) 63 percent mark.
Adding to the potent punch on the blocks, Haleigh Brandon has double-digit rebounds in 10 consecutive contests ranking fifth in the country with 13.4 boards per night.
Broadcast coverage airs on the Eagle Sports Network starting at 1:45 for "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off" on Mountain Sports 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) with an audio stream available on cneagles.com/live free of charge.
- CN -
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Carson-Newman | #17 Wingate |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (18-59) | (23-60) |
| Field Goal % | 30.5% | 38.3% |
| Rebounds | 44 | 45 |
| Assists | 11 | 16 |
| Turnovers | 19 | 13 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 11 | 20 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 12 | 13 |
| Pts in the Paint | 16 | 36 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 11 |
| Bench Pts | 26 | 9 |
