BOONE, N.C. - A second-half surge with a team-centric performance led the Appalachian State University women's basketball team (3-6) to another impressive win defeating Furman 92-78 in the Holmes Center on Sunday afternoon.
App State Starters: #3 Bria Carter, #10 Joi Jones , #23 KeKe Cooper , #34 Madi Story, #42 Mia Marshall
Furman Starters: #12 Kelsey Ellis, #20 Whitney Bunn, #21 Holli Watkins, #24 Cierra Carter, #44 Tiara Wood
For the second-straight game, five players scored in double figures with Jones (21) and Story (20) both tallying career highs, while Cooper, Ashley Bassett-Smith and Marshall all chipped in with 12 points. The 92 points is the highest since a 99-71 win over UNC Asheville on Dec. 2, 2010.
Six of the nine players that scored shot at least 50 percent or higher from the field, while the duo of Jones and Story shot 15-for-25 (60 percent) from the floor and dished out nine assists. Jones was also one rebound shy of her first double-double with a career-high nine boards, and Bassett-Smith notched her first career double-double with 12 points and 11 boards.
Appalachian assisted on 17 of its 35 field goals and turned the ball over just 15 times. The pace was perfect for Appalachian's high-paced offense with 84 possessions, scoring on 52.4 percent of its possessions and averaged 1.095 points per possession.
Both teams came out scorching to start the contest shooting at least over 50 percent, including Furman going 4-for-7 from deep in an up-and-down contest in the first quarter. The Paladins came out to a 10-3 run over the first 1:56 of the game. Trailing 14-7 with 6:18 left in the first period, Appalachian used a 13-0 run over the following 2:43 to take its first lead of the game, 20-14, that was capped off by a Bassett-Smith layup.
However, Furman scored 10 of the next 14 points to tie the game thanks to a 3-pointer before the horn sounded. Story played a hand in 16 (9 points 3 assists) of the team's 24 points.
The second quarter belong to a hot-shooting Furman squad that hit another four trifectas and shot 53.8 percent to App State's 40 percent. With the game tied at 32-apiece, Furman outscored the hosts, 13-5 over the final 6:44 of the first half to go ahead by eight, 45-37. App State held a 19-12 edge in rebounding at the break.
It was all App State in the second half, coming out in the third quarter playing dominant ball on both sides of the court. Appalachian used a 14-0 over the first five minutes to go in front 51-45 while forcing Furman to miss nine-consecutive shots during a 5:20 scoring drought. The Mountaineers never trailed again the rest of the way, taking a six-point advantage, 64-58, into the fourth quarter thanks to six straight points from Story.
With 6:34 left in the game Furman sliced the deficit to one possession, 71-68. But the Apps responded with a 6-0 spurt that gave Appalachian a commanding 77-68 lead.
Furman never threatened the Apps during the rest of the game while the Apps' largest lead of 14 would come at the final buzzer, giving App State its third victory over a team from the 2014-15 postseason and confidence going into conference play.
To put the Apps' dominant second half into more perspective, Appalachian outscored the Paladins 55-33, held Furman to 28.1 percent shooting from the field and 23.1 percent shooting from outside the arc. Offensively, the Apps shot 54.5 percent in the second half, including a 11-for-18 shooting output in the third quarter.
App State also shot 19-for-23 (82.6 percent) from the charity stripe while shooting just five free throws (2-for-5) in the first stanza.
The Mountaineers will have the week off for the holidays before starting Sun Belt play at UL Monroe on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
Quotable:
" Today was a great win against a really good Furman team. Our defensive intensity in the second half really changed the game and allowed us to be successful. Offensively, we are doing a great job moving the basketball and taking high-percentage shots. I am really proud of the way we have finished our non-conference schedule and the growth we have shown as a team." - Head coach Angel Elderkin
Tip-Ins
- App State posted a 45-27 edge in the rebounding battle. It's the third-straight game the Mountaineers have outrebounded their opponents by more than 10 boards. It's also the fifth-straight contest App State has had a player in double-figure rebounding.
- It's the first time since the 2011-12 season The Black and Gold has had two games where at least five players in double figures (Nov. 21, 2011 W; 89-65 vs. ETSU; Mar. 5, 2012 W: 79-73 vs. UNC Wilmington)
- The Apps had two 20-point scorers for the first time since last season's 76-70 win over ETSU on Nov. 19 (Maryah Sydnor- 25 points; Katie Mallow 21 points)
- Story had a game-high plus-26 in 20 minutes of action in the plus/minus category while Bassett-Smith (21) and Jones (16) followed suit.
- Jones shot out of her season slump shooting an efficient 7-for-13 from the field while converting on 6-of-8 from the free throw line.
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