C-N opens home slate with #14 North Georgia
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the second time in four days, Carson-Newman (2-2) will battle 14th-ranked North Georgia (4-3) for its home opener on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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19 | 13 | 27 | 15 | 74 |
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26 | 18 | 14 | 24 | 82 |
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the second time in four days, Carson-Newman (2-2) will battle 14th-ranked North Georgia (4-3) for its home opener on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
Carson-Newman played UNG on Saturday, suffering a seven-point loss in a game that was close throughout. It was inconsistent shooting that doomed C-N in the road loss. After making eight shots in the first quarter, C-N would go on to only make 10 over the next three quarters in the seven-point loss. The Lady Eagles shot just 22% after the first quarter and finished the game shooting 27.7% from the field. C-N's defense and free throw shooting kept the game close. UNG made just 37.3% of its shots and just eight of its 21 three-pointers. C-N's defense also forced 15 turnovers and scored 12 points off them.
"Neither team has to do much scouting since we just played," Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey said. "They are going to look to improve upon some things to take advantage of us and we'll do the same thing. More than anything, we just need to shoot the ball better."
The Lady Eagles open the doors to Holt Fieldhouse for the first time this season. C-N has won 17 of its past 18 home openers and is 13-1 under Mincey. The lone loss in a home opener for C-N in the past 18 years came to Catawba on November 28, 2022. That is also C-N's last loss in a true home non-conference game, having won six straight home non-conference affairs the past two seasons.
Carson-Newman has been elite at home over the past two seasons, posting a 27-1 record inside Holt Fieldhouse. The program has won three straight games over ranked teams at home and has a ranked win in each of the past ten seasons.
Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) has powered Carson-Newman through a tough shooting stretch to begin the new season. The senior guard is the team's leading scorer at 19 points per game. Her three-point shooting ability has been on display often through the first four games. She has rattled home 13 three-pointers, the second-most in the conference so far this season and 22nd most nationally. Sullivan scored a game-high 23 points against UNG on Saturday.
Defensively, Carson-Newman has held its first four opponents below 70 points. Opponents are shooting just 34% from the field this season and scoring just 62 points on average. Led by Mattie Nuckolls' (Chatsworth, Ga.)10 blocks, C-N leads the SAC in blocks per game, averaging six per night.
North Georgia heads to Mossy Creek for just the second time in the past seven seasons. Carson-Newman remembers UNG's last trip to Jefferson City quite well. Mincey's team outscored UNG 56-24 in the second half to run away with a 31-point win on December 3rd, 2022, the program's largest win over a ranked team. The Nighthawks have not defeated a Mincey-led Carson-Newman team in Holt Fieldhouse in four games. The series is level at nine wins for both sides, with the home team having won six straight games in the series.
The Nighthawks have already made three road trips in November. They won their first true road game by defeating Edinboro 86-75 on Nov 8. The next day, they suffered a 70-55 loss to #5 Gannon at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic. UNG's second road win in three trips was a 17-point at Emmanuel on Nov 14. An 11-point fourth quarter helped them pull away from the Lions.
Caroline Martin leads a North Georgia team that excels from the foul line. The graduate student is the active career leader in free throw attempts and makes and also leads DII this season in those categories. Her team makes 81 percent of their free throws, 15th best nationally.
Averie Jones and Caroline Martin combine to score 32 points per game for UNG. C-N held those two players to a combined 23 points in the loss on Saturday. It was Zaynah Preston carrying the offense, scoring a career-high 22 points on four made three-pointers.
Tipoff with the is set for 2 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 1:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on Mix 106.3 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. Fans can also view a courtside cam of the Eagle Sports Network broadcasting on press row on YouTube.
Team Stats
#14 North Georgia
| Game Statistics | #14 North Georgia | Carson-Newman |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (26-65) | (32-64) |
| Field Goal % | 40.0% | 50.0% |
| Rebounds | 32 | 41 |
| Assists | 17 | 23 |
| Turnovers | 9 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 13 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 11 | 11 |
| Pts in the Paint | 32 | 40 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 16 |
| Bench Pts | 18 | 13 |
