C-N, No. 14 Coker set for first-place showdown at Holt
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Two first-place teams square off to end January as Carson-Newman (15-4, 11-2 SAC) welcomes No. 14 Coker (16-3, 11-2 SAC) to Holt Fieldhouse for a Friday afternoon matchup inside Holt Fieldhouse.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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21 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 60 |
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15 | 20 | 30 | 22 | 87 |
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Two first-place teams square off to end January as Carson-Newman (15-4, 11-2 SAC) welcomes No. 14 Coker (16-3, 11-2 SAC) to Holt Fieldhouse for a Friday afternoon matchup inside Holt Fieldhouse.
Carson-Newman and Coker are two of the three teams tied for first with an 11-2 league record. Lenoir-Rhyne is also 11-2 in league play this season. Even with a month still left in the South Atlantic Conference regular season, a lot rides on a matchup that has massive conference and regional implications. Coker won the first matchup this regular season 64-56 on December 10th in Hartsville, South Carolina. A win for the Lady Eagles secures a split in the regular season.
This matchup is intriguing not just because the teams are tied for first and potentional tournament implications, but where the two teams have fared well statistically this season. Coker's number one field goal percentage defense goes up against a C-N offense that is shooting 49 percent from the field in January. Coker is the best defensive team in the league, allowing just 58 a game while C-N averages 80 a night and 93 per game this month. Both teams rank first and third in the league in rebounding, Coker separates itself by just 0.7 boards per game. Carson-Newman is top five nationally in threes made per game and matches up against a Coker perimeter defense that has forced opponents to make just 26 percent of their long-range shots this season.
Carson-Newman will aim to defend its 14-game home winning streak, which is the fourth-longest active home winning streak in DII. C-N is 7-0 at home this season and has won five straight at home by double-digits.
C-N faces a ranked team for the fifth time this season, having split 2-2 in its first four games against ranked teams this season. Oddly enough, it will be the third time playing the 14th rated team in the WBCA poll this season (previous two were North Georgia). Both of C-N's ranked wins this season are at home. Carson-Newman has won five straight home games against ranked competition. Since 2008, the Lady Eagles are 24-25 against ranked clubs.
The Lady Eagles extended their winning streak to five games with a 27-point road victory over Tusculum on Wednesday night. C-N reset its season-high in scoring and had its most efficient game of the year, shooting 57% to reach the century mark for the third time this season. Wednesday's offensive masterclass continues an absurd scoring month of January. Carson-Newman is averaging 92.6 points per game this month and is shooting 49.4 percent from the field, 10 percent higher than November and December. The Lady Eagles have scored 80 points or more in six of the seven games and have scored 100 points or more three times this month.
Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) continues to make her way up the three-point shooting marks in program history. Scoring a career-high 33 points on six made three-pointers last time out, Sullivan has 116 career triples with C-N and is 13th all-time. She is 14 threes away from cracking the top ten. This season, she ranks top 25 nationally in made threes, three-point percentage and three-pointers per game.
Coker has the highest winning percentage in the Southeast Region at 16-3 and has won 11 of its 13 league games. It's only two league losses came in back-to-back games against Lenoir-Rhyne and #20 Lincoln Memorial. Both losses were by double-digits. Since, the Cobras have rattled off three straight wins all by 14 points or more.
Reigning SAC Player of the Year Shawnteanna Tillman is making her case to go back-to-back. She averages 19.2 points per game, second-best in the SAC and 21st nationally. She scored 28 in Wednesday's win over Newberry.
Tip off is set for 2:00 p.m. with airtime at 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.
Team Stats
#14 Coker
| Game Statistics | #14 Coker | Carson-Newman |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (23-70) | (32-65) |
| Field Goal % | 32.9% | 49.2% |
| Rebounds | 43 | 40 |
| Assists | 7 | 18 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 12 | 19 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 9 | 6 |
| Pts in the Paint | 34 | 42 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 11 | 15 |
| Bench Pts | 12 | 24 |
