BOONE, N.C. - Opening up the 48th season in program history on Friday, Appalachian State University women's basketball hosts ACC foe and 2017 WNIT runner-up Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. inside the Holmes Center on ESPN3.
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PROMOTIONS
Just one of the many promotions going on this season, veterans, faculty and staff will get into Friday's contest for free. It is also the first of nine women's basketball games that will air on ESPN3.
TICKETS
Fans can still purchase a 2017-18 Appalachian State basketball season ticket, which reserves a seat for all 26 regular-season games at the Holmes Center (13 men's, 13 women's), costs just $175 for courtside. Non-courtside season tickets are $100 for adults, $80 for senior citizens (ages 60 ) and Appalachian State faculty/staff and $50 for youth (ages 3-12). Appalachian State basketball season tickets can be purchased online by clicking
here, by phone at
(828) 262-2079 or in person at the Appalachian State athletics ticket office, located at the Holmes Center (Monday - Friday; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.).
About the Mountaineers
• The Mountaineers open the 48th season in team history tonight against ACC foe and WNIT runner-up, Georgia Tech.
• It's the first time since 2006-07 App is hosting a Power Five opponent when GT visited the High Country in the Apps' home opener.
• Head coach
Angel Elderkin brings in a new-look Mountaineer squad with eight newcomers, which includes five freshmen and three transfers, two of which are eligible.
• App State will go into the season with three returners in
Kaila Craven,
Armani Hampton, and
Bayley Plummer. Craven missed 2016-17 but was cleared recently to resume basketball activities.
• App State defeated Tusculum in its lone exhibition contest last Tuesday. Three freshmen in Tierra Wilson, LaPresha Stanley, and Maya Calder all scored in double figures including a double-double from Calder off the bench.
• Georgia Tech is coming off a 22-15 mark and is receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches' Poll.
• The Yellow Jackets advanced all the way to the WNIT title game before falling to Michigan.
• App and GT played for the first time last season since 2006-07 in Atlanta, while the Yellow Jackets dealt App an 81-52 defeat, where the hosts hit 14 3-pointers that helped contribute to the win.
• GT returns nine letterwinners and three starters from last season's team, highlighted by Zaire O'Neal and Francesca Pan. O'Neal averaged 12.9 ppg on 47.7 percent shooting while Pan turned in 11.5 ppg and hit the second-most trifectas with 63.
Five Things to Watch
• App State will have to limit the mistakes against a GT squad that forced 17.4 turnovers per game last season. Appalachian committed 20 miscues against Tusculum in the exhibition last Tuesday and had 18 miscues in the previous matchup versus GT.
• With GT returning 75 percent of its 3-point production, including the top two leading shooters from beyond the arc in Antonia Peresson (69) and Francesca Pan (63), the Apps will need to force the shooters off the line. The Black and Gold allowed 14 treys in last season's contest. See if App contain the deadly GT shooting from beyond the arc.
• If GT does go on a big run on Friday, see how the Mountaineers respond to the surge. The Yellow Jackets ran out to a 21-8 lead in the first quarter and wouldn't relinquish the lead in last season's matchup.
• With the shooting ability of Appalachian that it brings in this season, see if the Black and Gold can get it going from outside the arc. App State finished 11th in 3-point shooting at under 30 percent. Coach Elderkin expects this team to give opposing defenses fits from outside the arc.
• App State will need to earn some easy buckets in transition and off turnovers. Last season, the Apps registered at least 15 or more points off turnovers in 11 of 12 victories, including 20 or more points off of miscues in eight of those wins.
Scouting Georgia Tech
• GT brings back nine letterwinners and three starters from last season's 22-15 squad that reached the WNIT final.
• The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish ninth according to the Blue Ribbon Panel, while the ACC coaches picked GT to end the year at sixth.
• Francesca Pan was picked Preseason All-ACC, while newcomer Lorel Cubaj was named to the ACC Newcomer Watch List.
• Zaire O'Neal, the team's leading scorer, is back after averaging 12.9 points per game and corralled 5.7 rebounds per contest.
• According to natstat.com, the Yellow Jackets were fifth in pace at 76.5, while O'Neal was fifth in usage at 28.7 percent.
• The Yellow Jackets were third in the ACC in offensive rebounding percentage at 38.7 percent.
• GT is led by head coach Machelle Joseph, who is entering her 15th season at the helm. Joseph has helped the Yellow Jackets to nine 20-win seasons in the last 11 campaigns.
What's Next
Appalachian will have a quick turnaround as it heads to Radford, Va. for a 5 p.m. contest against the Highlanders on Sunday.
