Jefferson City, Tenn.----Carson-Newman University junior guard
Haris Price (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) had 28 points, leading the number three Eagles to an 86-71 South Atlantic Conference women's basketball victory over number 21 Wingate University Saturday afternoon in Holt Field House. The Eagles clinch their first SAC regular season title since 1992 with the victory.
Wingate senior center
Marta Miscenko (Riga, Latvia) led the Bulldogs with 20 points. WU junior guard
Caroline Averette (Midlothian, Va.) had 16 points. The Eagles avenge a 68-54 loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 13. In addition, Carson-Newman snaps Wingate's 12-game winning streak with the triumph.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: #3 Carson-Newman 86, #21 Wingate 71
Records: #3 Carson-Newman 26-2 overall (18-2 SAC), #21 Wingate 23-4 overall (17-3 SAC)
Location: Holt Field House, Jefferson City, Tenn.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Price was one of four Eagles who hit double digits Saturday. Junior guard/forward
Mika Wester (Newport, Tenn.) had 21 points, while junior guard
Briana Smith (Nashville, Tenn.) had 18 points and seven assists. Senior forward/center
Jessica Simerly (Talbott, Tenn.) had 10 points.
-Wingate freshman guard
Jasmine Stephen (Virginia Beach, Va.) had 10 points and four assists off the Bulldog bench.
-Carson-Newman hit nine-of-21 three-point field goals, while Wingate made only one triple in 10 tries.
-The Eagles outrebounded the Bulldogs 37-34, thanks in large part to sophomore guard
Kayla Marosites (Elizabethton, Tenn.) and her 16 rebounds.
-Wingate outscored Carson-Newman 46-26 in the paint and 26-6 in bench points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Price had 11 points in the first quarter as the Eagles built a 25-10 lead. She hit four-of-five field goals and a perfect three-of-three from downtown. Carson-Newman led by as many as 17 points in the opening frame.
Second quarter
A basket by Kayla Marosites put the hosts up 39-16 with 6:27 remaining in the second quarter. The 23-point lead was Carson-Newman's biggest first half margin. Fittingly, Price ended the second quarter scoring with a three-point field goal (0:36) to give the Eagles a 51-28 lead at intermission. Price had 20 first-half points to lead both teams.
Third quarter
Carson-Newman maintained a 21-point (or better) margin for the entire quarter. A three-point field goal by sophomore guard
Kelci Marosites (Elizabethton, Tenn.) with 10 seconds to go closed out the third-quarter scoring and gave the hosts a 71-43 lead.
Fourth Quarter
The Bulldogs mounted a rally, cutting the deficit to 76-64 on a jumper by junior guard
Courtney Robinson (Taylors, S.C.) at the 3:43 mark. A lay-up by Stephen at the two-minute mark brought the visitors within 10 (C-N 78, WU 68). The Eagles made eight-of-eight free throws in the final 95 seconds to keep the Bulldogs at bay.
TURNING POINT
The first quarter set the stage for the afternoon, as Carson-Newman made 55.6 percent of its field goals (10-of-18), while Wingate made only 26.7 percent (four-of-15).
NOTABLES
-Wingate had won nine consecutive games against Carson-Newman. Prior to Saturday, the Eagles' last win over the Bulldogs was a 56-50 decision on March 2, 2013 in Jefferson City, Tenn.
-Wingate junior forward
Danasia Witherspoon (Hickory, N.C.) has 995 career points entering next week's SAC tournament.
QUOTABLES
Wingate head women's basketball coach
Ann Hancock: "Carson Newman was the better team today. They came out ready to play and jumped on us early. There is a reason they are number three team in the country. They are very hard to defend when they are hitting shots…nine-of-21 from the three-point line is hard to beat. It is also difficult because they attack the offensive boards, so the ones they miss often end up in second chance points. I was proud we didn't give up. Price was terrific. We could not stop her in the first half."
ON THE HORIZON
-Both teams will host first-round games in the South Atlantic Conference tournament Wednesday. The C-N Eagles are the number one seed, while the WU Bulldogs are the number two seed in the event. Both games will tip at 6 p.m.
