Ranked top ten nationally in the preseason, Carson-Newman has had an up-and-down start to the season. Veteran Head Coach Mike Mincey's team started the year 3-0, including a win over nationally ranked Lander. The Eagles have since faced adversity, losing forward Lindsey Taylor to injury and suffering through a four-game losing streak. However, Mincey's team rebounded to throttle No. 3 West Georiga 92-61 on Dec. 3. Yet, most recently, CN fell 102-73 at Limestone. Despite the choppy start, the Eagles have one of the nation's premier players in guard Braelyn Wykle. A former South Atlatnic Conference Player of the Year, Wykle has amassed more than 1,500 points in her career and is averaging 18.1 points per game this season.  Last season, Wykle was a thorn in UVA Wise's side, averaging 25.5 points per game in the two regular season meetings between the schools.

Sophomore guard Josie Hester continues to have a breakout campaign. Most recently, Hester netted a game-high 19 points at Tusculum while connecting on four triples. The 5-foot-9 guard is averaging 14.6 points per game after scoring just 28 points all of last season. Fellow backcourt mate Caitlyn Ross is inching toward history. The senior stands 13 assists shy of 500 for her career and would become just the third player in program history to reach the mark. When she does, Ross will join Amber Carter and Paula "Crickett" Adams as the only players in program history with at least 1,000 career points and at least 500 assists. Senior Leah Kestner's return from injury has provided a boost for the Cavaliers. At Tusculum, Kestner established a new career-high with three assists while tying a career-high with three blocked shots. Sophomore forward Katlin Burger netted 10 points against the Pioneers to keep her stretch of scoring in double figures intact. Dating back to last season, Burger has scored in double figures in 13 straight games. Following Saturday's game, UVA Wise will get on a plane and head to Puerto Rico for a pair of games on the island. Jamie Cluesman's team is in the midst of playing 7-of-8 away from home.