JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - In the quarterfinals of the 2021 South Atlantic Conference Pilot Flying J Women's Basketball Championship, the eighth-seeded Lincoln Memorial University women's basketball team (10-10) pulled off the biggest upset in the history of SAC postseason play with a 78-72 win over Carson-Newman inside Holt Fieldhouse Monday evening. With the win, LMU becomes the first eighth seed to defeat a top seed since the South Atlantic Conference began playing a women's basketball conference tournament after the 1990-91 season. The Lady Railsplitters will travel to fifth-seeded Anderson Thursday evening for their semifinal contest.

Shooting 53 percent from the field and 45 percent from the three point line, LMU controlled the game for most of the contest and recorded their second win over the Eagles this year. The Lady Railsplitters also won the rebounding battle by three and the bench points by ten.

The game began at a very slow pace as neither team scored over the first few possessions. Lexi Kiser ended the early drought with a layup and was quickly matched by Addison Byrd. Skylar Boshears then scored consecutive baskets to give Carson-Newman a 6-2 lead, but Lauren Flowers hit a three to keep the Eagles within striking distance. The teams then traded scores before LMU went on a 5-0 run to end the quarter as Maggie Jachimczuk made a layup and Lindsay Proffitt drilled a three pointer.

With a slim lead, the Lady Railsplitters continued the early momentum with another Flowers three. The teams traded buckets before Mikayla Kuehne scored on consecutive possessions to give LMU a 21-16 lead. After a Braelyn Wykle basket, back-to-back Proffitt threes and a Kuehne and-one quickly gave the Lady Railsplitters their first double-digit lead of the game at 30-18. Carson-Newman got the game back within seven points at 32-25, but Proffitt made another three with under ten seconds left to take a ten point lead into the locker room.

Carson-Newman came out of the halftime break strong and cut the lead to six points with two Wykle free throws. Jachimczuk and Flowers scored to extend the lead back to ten, but the Eagles were far from finished. Two Byrd three pointers sliced the LMU lead to four before Kuehne ended the run with a three. The teams went back and forth once again, but a Harli Smith and-one got Carson-Newman back within two possessions. A Wykle three and a Lindsey Taylor layup tied the score for the first time since the first quarter, although Proffitt made a layup to give the Lady Railsplitters a slim lead going into the final stanza.

A Jachimczuk three opened the fourth quarter scoring, and the race to the finish was on from there. A Taylor layup closed the Eagles within 56-53, but Proffitt, who was clutch all evening, made another shot from deep to extend the lead to six. Another and-one from Kuehne got LMU's lead to nine, but two Carson-Newman baskets closed them back within five. Two Flowers free throws with just over five minutes to play made the score 65-58, setting up a fantastic finish.

LMU looked like they had the game in hand when Jordan Maney made a layup to give the Lady Railsplitters a 69-60 lead and even more so when Kuehne's layup extended the lead to 12 with just under two minutes remaining. Carson-Newman cranked up the pressure, scoring eight consecutive points in just over a half-minute to close to within 74-70. Four Flowers free throws offset a Boshears layup and provided the final margin.

Kuehne led the scoring charge off the bench with 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Proffitt finished with 17 points and a team-leading nine rebounds. Flowers had 14 points, eight rebounds, and three assists and Kiser was her usual consistent self with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

LMU will now travel to Anderson, S.C. for their matchup with the fifth-seeded Trojans on Thursday, Mar. 4. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.