CHARLESTON, S.C.- Appalachian State University women's basketball found its momentum late in the first half and never looked back, as the Mountaineers dominated College of Charleston 71-39 Saturday afternoon, to sweep the Cougars for the second straight season. The Mountaineers have now improved their winning streak to nine in a row and are 19-4 on the season, including 13-2 in league play, while the Cougars fall to 6-17 on the season and 3-11 in conference action.

After taking a commanding 18-point halftime lead, there was no letting up for the Apps, as the squad opened the second period on a 13-2 run to take its largest lead of the game up to that point, leading 46-17.

Sam Ramirez came alive for ASU, scoring five of Appalachian's first nine points of the second period.  Anna Freeman also contributed on the offensive front, as she poured in six.

Ramirez finished with nine points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals, while Anna Freeman poured in 14 points, grabbed a game-best nine rebounds and tied a career-best swiping seven steals.

Despite College of Charleston finding some life, with the Cougars posting a 14-2 run to pull within 17, Appalachian was able to thwart the CofC surge and earn its second-largest win of the season, and third by 30 plus points, beating the Cougars by 32 points.

Turnovers coupled with the Apps unable to execute early hampered ASU as the Mountaineers went the first five and a half minutes of action with out a bucket. Fortunately for the Black and Gold, College of Charleston was unable to take advantage of ASU's sluggishness as both teams combined to shoot 1-12 from the floor in the opening minutes of action.

Thanks in part to strong play by freshman Hillary Southworth who provided ASU with a spark, the Black and Gold were able to find their rhythm as the squad outscored the Cougars 23-3 and held CofC to without a field goal for eight minutes, jumping on top 23-8.

Southworth along with offensive contributions from Courtney Freeman and Ashlen Dewart proved to be too much for CofC to handle as Appalachian headed into the half with a commanding 33-15 lead.

Southworth tied a career-high with 11 points, while also recording a career-best four steals and tallying two assists.

Dewart came on late in the first period, as she scored eight of her 12 first half-points in the final four and a half minutes before the break. Dewart finished the contest with a game-best 18 points on 8-12 shooting.

Appalachian not only limited CofC to just 15 first half points, the fewest it has allowed an opponent all season, but the high intensity pressure Mountaineer defense forced 17 first half Cougar turnovers.

Continuing to click in second-half action, the Mountaineers withstood a CofC second-half push and went on to capture the impressive 71-39 win.

The Apps now get a much-need one-week reprieve from games as they continue their road stint and head to Birmingham, Ala. to battle the Bulldogs Saturday, February 12. The contest is set to start at 3 p.m. in Samford's Pete Hanna Center.