Lady Eagles meet No. 20 Coker for SAC title
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman (21-9) will hope to cut down the nets on Saturday afternoon when it matches up with No. 20 Coker (24-6) for the South Atlantic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Game at 1:00 p.m. from the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center.
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VIDEO: Final moments vs UVA Wise (SAC Quarterfinals)
VIDEO: Final moments vs Anderson (SAC Semifinals)
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman (21-9) will hope to cut down the nets on Saturday afternoon when it matches up with No. 20 Coker (24-6) for the South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Championship Game at 1:00 p.m. from the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center.
Carson-Newman is back in the South Atlantic Conference Championship game for the third time in the past five years and for the ninth time in program history. C-N is 3-5 in eights trips to the title game and is back for the second time in three seasons. Carson-Newman has made the tournament championship three times under Mincey and has won two of the those contests.
The Lady Eagles earned their fourth win on a neutral floor on Saturday by defeating Anderson 73-67 on Friday afternoon. Through the first two games of the South Atlantic Conference Basketball Tournament, Jennifer Sullivan, Mattie Nuckolls and Delaney Weddington have each scored in double-figures, with Nuckolls' 46 points in two games leading the way
All-SAC forward Mattie Nuckolls has been of the best defenders in the SAC this season. She leads the league in with 62 blocks, the fourth-most in a single-season in program history. For her career, she has 110 rejections, sixth-best in program history. Nuckolls is just 11 away from moving into the top five.
In 60 career games with C-N, Jennifer Sullivan has made 141 three-pointers, the eighth-most in program history. The sharpshooter is 17 more triples away from Kayla Marosites for seventh on the three-point shooting list. Sullivan's 40.8 career three-point percentage is third-best all-time in program history. This season, she has drilled 77 triples which is the second-most in the league.
Like C-N, Coker has collected wins in consecutive days to earn a second straight trip to the South Atlantic Conference Championship game. The Cobras have held their hat on the defensive end of the floor, allowing just 42 and 44 points in the first two games of the tournament. They beat Wingate 60-42 in the opening round and Lincoln Memorial 52-44 in yesterday's semifinal victory.
The SAC Championship could be a preview of a potential NCAA Tournament game as well. The Cobras and Eagles have both been rated fourth and fifth in the NCAA's first two regional rankings.
Coker earned the number three seed in the conference tournament by winning 18 conference games in the regular season and finishing 22-6 overall.
Reigning South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Shawnteanna Tillman earned All-SAC honors after leading the Cobras in scoring in the regular season. Kristynn Knight was Coker's second All-SAC selection, earning second team honors.
Today's South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Championship game begins at 1. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network begins at 12:45 with the AEC Countdown to Tipoff on MIX 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live. A live stream of the contest is available with a subscription to FloSports. A live camera of the broadcast crew "On Press Row" will also be available on YouTube.
Team Stats
#20 Coker
| Game Statistics | Carson-Newman | #20 Coker |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (17-55) | (24-61) |
| Field Goal % | 30.9% | 39.3% |
| Rebounds | 28 | 49 |
| Assists | 2 | 4 |
| Turnovers | 10 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 7 | 7 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 2 | 12 |
| Pts in the Paint | 26 | 20 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 5 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 14 | 3 |
