C-N challenges ranked Railsplitters
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (16-6, 12-4 SAC) looks to end a two-game skid when it heads to No. 24 Lincoln Memorial (18-3, 13-3 SAC) on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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15 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 51 |
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20 | 11 | 18 | 13 | 62 |
VIDEO: Carson-Newman vs #20 Lincoln Memorial Jan 2026 Highlights
VIDEO: Carson-Newman vs #20 Lincoln Memorial Jan 2026 Cinematic
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (16-6, 12-4 SAC) looks to end a two-game skid when it heads to No. 21 Lincoln Memorial (18-3, 13-3 SAC) on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m.
Carson-Newman will be looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak since the 2022-23 season, when it lost three straight in mid-November. The Lady Eagles have not lost three straight SAC regular season games since losing three in a row during a stretch in mid February of the 2015-16 season.
Since 2008, Carson-Newman is 25-26 against ranked teams. C-N's last road win over a ranked team was an 83-78 overtime victory over #21 Catawba on Jan 12, 2022. The Lady Eagles are 3-2 against ranked foes this season, with the losses coming on the road. Overall, they've lost nine straight ranked road games.
In just 53 career games with C-N, Jennifer Sullivan (Knoxville, Tenn.) has put her three-point shooting on full display. Her 124 three-pointers are 12th-most in program history, just six away from moving into the top ten. To reach that mark, she has done so on superb efficiency. Sullivan's 41.2 career three-point percentage is second-best all-time in program history. This season, she has drilled 63 triples to lead the SAC and is second in three-point percentage.
Carson-Newman won the first meeting back on January 14th, 76-58. Sullivan had one of her three 30-point games this year to collect the 18-point win. She had 30 points and drilled seven triples, while Emily Gonzalez poured in 20 points and dished out a team-high five assists.
A key deciding factor in that result was C-N's nine to two advantage in three-point makes. The two triples for LMU were a season-low. For the season, both teams rank top ten nationally averaging nine three-pointers per game.
Lincoln Memorial is back in the WBCA poll, after coming a fourth straight win this past Saturday. They moved up from 24 to 21 in today's poll. Since an overtime loss at Lenoir-Rhyne, the Railsplitters have won four straight games and all by 12 points or more. Three of those wins were on the road as well. Their 18-3 record is the second-best winning percentage in the league, only behind Columbus State's 19-3. All three losses are in league play, putting them 13-3 and in a tie for second-place.
The Railsplitters are one of just 15 DII schools unbeaten at home this season, so far a perfect 10-0. Dating back to last season, they have won 13 straight games at Tex Turner Arena which tied for the fifth-longest active home winning streak and second-best in the SAC, only behind C-N's 15. Nine of the ten home wins are by double-digits. Wingate forced overtime against LMU in December, but lost by four.
Head coach Devan Carter has one of the more potent frontcourt players in DII in senior Kamil Collier. She leads the SAC and is sixth nationally with 14 double-doubles. She is coming off her fifth 20-point double on Saturday. Her 11 rebounds per game is the best in the league and ninth nationally as well.
Lexi Patty and Alexa Smiddy both average 13 points per game, with Smiddy being the team's leader in 3's.
Tip off with the Railsplitters is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 5:15 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
#21 Lincoln Memorial
| Game Statistics | Carson-Newman | #21 Lincoln Memorial |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (20-61) | (23-57) |
| Field Goal % | 32.8% | 40.4% |
| Rebounds | 30 | 39 |
| Assists | 8 | 12 |
| Turnovers | 10 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 4 | 10 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 2 | 7 |
| Pts in the Paint | 34 | 34 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 7 |
| Bench Pts | 15 | 9 |
