BOONE, N.C. -- Despite a double-double from junior Madi Story, Appalachian State University women's basketball couldn't overcome 19.6 percent shooting from the field and 19 miscues on offense, falling 53-37 to Texas State on Thursday night at the Holmes Center.
The Mountaineers (8-11, 3-5 Sun Belt) and the Bobcats (10-9, 5-3 Sun Belt) went neck-in-neck in a defensive battle early, as neither team was able to pull away from the other. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that the turnovers and cold shooting began to wear on the Mountaineers' offensive flow.
Where App State controlled things for the entire game was on the glass. Appalachian outrebounded Texas State 50-38, including 19-10 in offensive boards that led to a 14-3 second-chance-points advantage.Appalachian has won the glass in eight of the past nine games including the past four contests.
Individually, Story led the Black and Gold becoming the first Mountaineer since Maryah Sydnor in 2014-15 to record two-straight double-doubles with a game-high 10 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Joi Jones was right behind her with 10 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Bayley Plummer finished with 10 boards as well while redshirt senior Ashley Bassett-Smith led defensively with a game-high three blocks.
Both teams went through their struggles on the offensive end, combining for a 3-for-36 performance from beyond the arc, including just one trey from the Mountaineers. App had come into the game hitting 16 3-pointers in the previous two games. Both teams also shot below 35 percent from the field and committed a combined 31 turnovers.
App trailed by just six, 34-28, going into the final quarter before Jones hit a layup looking to get things going offensively for App State, cutting the lead to four, 34-30. However, Appalachian went cold once again from the floor while Texas State took advantage going on a 13-2 run over a 7:09 span to claim a 47-32 lead and eventually went on to capture its fourth win in a row.
After Texas State took a 9-6 lead going into the second frame before Jones and Bria Carter hit a pair of layups to put App up by one, 10-9. For the next 4:06, both teams traded baskets until Story gave App its final lead of the game, 14-13. Texas State finished the first half on a 10-2 run to go into the half with 23-16 lead.
TXST maintained control despite Appalachian getting to within one possession on multiple occasions. Appalachian was finding open looks, but the shots weren't falling for a squad that was tied for fifth in scoring during conference play and fourth in field goal percentage shooting 41.6 percent going into tonight's contest.
Before the game, both teams came together to recognize the “#WeFightWithA” Sun Belt initiative, in which the conference has teamed up with the American Cancer Society for February's 3-point Challenge.
The Mountaineers will continue their short homestand on Saturday when they host UT Arlington at the Holmes Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
