Live Stats
BOONE, N.C. ?€“ The Appalachian State University women's basketball team opens up its 2006-07 preseason hosting Belmont Abbey in an exhibition game, Tuesday, November 7 at 7 p.m. at the Holmes Center. The Mountaineers return seven players from last season's 15-13 squad that finished fourth in the Southern Conference at 11-7. Junior Whitney Tossie (Oviedo, Fla.) leads the squad as the lone returning starter after averaging 8.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds during her sophomore campaign. The guard ranked 16th in the nation with 3.0 steals per contest. Senior Jaime Bennett (Woodstock, Ga.) and sophomore Whitney Ketner (Spartanburg, S.C.) combined with Tossie account for 92 percent of ASU's returning scoring from last season. Bennett chipped in 4.3 points per game, while Ketner added 3.7 points. After a fourth-place finish last season, the Mountaineers were picked to finish eighth with 29 points by the Southern Conference coaches in the annual preseason poll released November 1 at the league's media tip-off event. UNC Greensboro was tabbed the league favorite with five of the 10 first place votes and 73 total votes. Tossie earned preseason all-conference accolades with 48 votes from the coaches. Appalachian opens the regular season as it hosts Central Florida, Saturday, November 11 at the Holmes Center at 2 p.m. The Mountaineers remain at home for their second game of the season as they host the ACC's Georgia Tech, Tuesday, November 14 at 7 p.m. at the Holmes Center.