GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Freshman Ashton Wykle poured in 18 points including six 3-pointers in leading the Carson-Newman women's basketball team to a 68-47 victory over Tusculum Wednesday night in South Atlantic Conference action at Pioneer Arena.
The Eagles (10-3, 4-3 SAC) used a 26-6 run spanning the first and second quarters before taking a 33-16 lead at the intermission.
Wykle, a Greeneville, Tennessee native who played locally at South Green High School, accounted for all of her scoring from beyond the three-point arc, shooting 6-of-12 from long range. C-N's Jessica Simerly posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Kailyn Brooks tallied 11 markers for the Eagles.
Tusculum rookie Kasey Johnson scored a season-best 18 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. She also grabbed four rebounds and posted four steals. TC senior Kristen McMillion tallied a double-double of her own with 12 points and tied a season-high with a dozen boards marking her 34th career game with double-digit rebounds.
Tusculum senior guard Shynese Whitener, the conference's leading scorer entering Wednesday's action, was limited to a season-low six points as she fired 3-of-16 from the field.
Tusculum (6-4, 4-3 SAC) committed 27 turnovers, resulting into 21 points for the Eagles. TC outscored Carson-Newman 26-18 in the pain, but the Eagles held a commanding 27-2 in bench scoring.
With Tusculum leading 6-5 in the first quarter, Carson-Newman closed out the frame with an 11-2 spurt, including back-to-back treys by Brooks and a three-pointer from Wykle as the Eagles led 16-8 after 10 minutes.
Carson-Newman extended the lead to 19 points (31-12) opening the second period with a 15-4 run following a Jai Jai McLaughlin steal and layup at the 3:41 mark of the quarter.
The Eagles would maintain the double-digit advantage for the remainder of the contest as the Pioneers would only get as close as 14 points on two occasions down the stretch.
Carson-Newman finished the game shooting 41.7 percent while connecting on nine 3-pointers. The Pioneers shot 0-for-8 from beyond the arc and finished the game shooting 34.7 percent from the floor on the night. The Pioneers out-rebounded C-N by a 41-33 margin in TC's first game on the hardwood in 20 days.
The Pioneers are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they host Newberry for a 2 p.m. contest.
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