Up-tempo clash ahead as C-N closes road swing at LR
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Two up-tempo teams are to clash as Carson-Newman (10-3, 6-1 SAC) closes a four-game road swing at Lenoir-Rhyne (9-4, 5-2 SAC) Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. from Shuford Arena.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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13 | 32 | 26 | 21 | 92 |
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28 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 103 |
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Two up-tempo teams are set to clash as Carson-Newman (10-3, 6-1 SAC) closes a four-game road swing at Lenoir-Rhyne (9-4, 5-2 SAC) Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. from Shuford Arena.
Carson-Newman and Lenoir-Rhyne have things in common and that is wanting the game to be a frenetic pace to attempt and make a lot of shots. Both teams are first and second in field goals made and attempted this season. C-N has attempted 874 shots, the most in the SAC. While LR has attempted 871 but has made 13 more than the Lady Eagles.
Despite some similarities, a discrepancy comes from long range and at the foul line. Carson-Newman leads the league in three-point field goals with 117, making nine per game which is also top ten nationally. The Bears have just 91 threes and only shoot 29 percent. However, LR excels at getting to the foul line where it attempts a league-best 25 foul shots per game and makes a league-best 19 of those.
Carson-Newman has its longest winning streak of the season after reaching the century mark in a 105-63 win over Emory & Henry on Wednesday. The Lady Eagles have won six straight contests, including their past four road games. It's the longest road winning streak for the program since the 2021-22 season. C-N's six-game win streak is tied for second-longest in the Southeast Region.
The Lady Eagles got 65 points from its bench in Wednesday's win over E&H, the most in a game in at least the past 24 seasons. It's the second time in the past 24 years that the program got 60 or more bench points, scoring 61 on February 12, 2020 versus Lenoir-Rhyne in a 102-66 win.
Also in the win on Wednesday, C-N cracked the century mark in scoring for the 35th time in the Mike Mincey era. The Lady Eagles assisted on 37 of its 40 made baskets, the second-most assists in a game for the program all-time. Caroline Hill paced the superb passing day with a career-high six assists, and was joined by six others who had at least three.
C-N's defense continues to shine during this winning streak, holding its past seven opponents to 37 percent or worse shooting from the field. It's the second time in the past three years it has held consecutive opponents to that mark or worse.
Carson-Newman has dominated the recent series with the Bears but has lost its past two trips to Shuford Arena. The Lady Eagles have won 12 of the last 14 matchups, with the two losses coming the past two seasons in Hickory. In those losses, C-N has averaged 59.5 points per game and has shot 33.5 percent from the field. If one counts Carson-Newman's last four overall games inside Shuford Arena, it has shot just 31.5 percent. Those other two games refer to neutral site contests with Lander and USC Aiken at the beginning of this year.
Under first-year head coach Emry Tsitouris, Lenoir-Rhyne sits in a tie for fourth-place with a 5-2 conference record and a 9-4 overall record this season. The Bears have won four straight contests including six of their last seven. Their only loss since the beginning of December was a 95-90 result at UVA Wise.
LR is an unbeaten 6-0 in games at Shuford Arena this season. Five of their six home wins are by double-digits and they have won their past seven dating back to last season.
The Bears have been the best offensive team in the South Atlantic Conference this season averaging 81.7 points per contest. They have scored rather efficiently, shooting 41 percent from the field but only 29 percent from beyond the arc. LR has scored 70 points or more in 12 of its 13 games.
The conference's best offense is led by one of the top scorers in the league Aaliyah El. The junior guard is tied for first in scoring at 19.8 points per game. The five foot eight guard does all her scoring inside the arc and from the foul line. She makes 53 percent of her shots and is an 83% foul shooter, getting to the line more than seven times per game. Freshman forward Abigail Brown has been a quality addition to the lineup as well. She is the team's second leading scorer at 13.8 points per game and leads the SAC in blocks.
Tip off with the Bears is scheduled for 2:00 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
Lenoir-Rhyne
| Game Statistics | Carson-Newman | Lenoir-Rhyne |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (33-74) | (32-63) |
| Field Goal % | 44.6% | 50.8% |
| Rebounds | 45 | 35 |
| Assists | 16 | 20 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 10 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 10 | 18 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 15 | 5 |
| Pts in the Paint | 48 | 30 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 8 | 8 |
| Bench Pts | 11 | 26 |
