BOONE, N.C. - Freshman Lainey Gosnell scored a personal-high 20 points, and
Kaila Craven poured in a season-best 15 points off the bench, but it wasn't enough as App State women's basketball suffered a heartbreaking 59-57 defeat to Davidson (2-2) on Sunday afternoon inside the Holmes Center.
Trailing 57-51 with 1:41 left in the game, Gosnell hit two of her team-high four 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions highlighted by her game-tying trifecta with 16 seconds left to bring the score to a 57-57 tie. On the ensuing possession, Davidson's Justine Lyon gave the visitors the lead with 6.7 seconds left in the game. Appalachian would have the length of the court to get a shot off but failed to do so.
Gosnell made her first-career start and didn't disappoint as she also grabbed a career-best nine boards and more than doubled her scoring output in one game compared to the first three contests of the season. The Demorest, Ga., native stepped up in the second half scoring 14 of her 20 points in the stanza and hitting three of her 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Craven had her best game of the young campaign, shooting an efficient 4-of-8 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. The duo combined for 35 of the Mountaineers' 57 points and all five of the Apps' trifectas.
Bayley Plummer posted a new career-high of 16 rebounds along with eight points, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
Turnovers doomed the Mountaineers once again as the Wildcats forced 25 turnovers into 24 points, which was 40 percent of their point total, and only committed 13 themselves. Appalachian also missed opportunities at the free throw line going 14-for-22 from the charity stripe.
Davidson jumped out to an 18-8 first quarter lead thanks in large part to nine Black and Gold miscues and holding App to 25 percent shooting in the opening period. However, Appalachian sliced the deficit in the second frame to single digits going into halftime, 28-21, after a 5-2 spurt thanks to buckets from Plummer and Gosnell over the final 1:47 to give App some momentum going into the half.
The Apps came out hitting their first three shots of the second half to dwindle the Davidson lead to just four, 31-27. Just when it looked like Appalachian was ready to take over, Davidson forced five turnovers that contributed to an 11-2 run to push the lead to as much as 13, 42-29. But slowly, the Mountaineers didn't give up as they trimmed the deficit to five points by the end of the third quarter, 46-41. Eight of the 12 points during the 12-4 surge over the last 5:34 were scored at the free throw line along with back-to-back layups by Craven and
Armani Hampton.
Gosnell's 3-pointer in the early goings of the fourth quarter brought App to within one possession of Davidson 46-44, but three straight trips at the line gave the Wildcats a 51-44 advantage. Davidson kept the Black and Gold at bay until the thrilling finish in the final 1:41 of the contest. App State outscored Davidson in the last three periods of the game after trailing by 10 points in the opening frame.
The Mountaineers will have a quick turnaround as they look to right the ship against North Carolina A&T on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Greensboro.
Tip-Ins
- Gosnell's 20 points is the most for a freshman since Maryah Sydnor scored 30 points against Chattanooga on March 4, 2012, during the 2011-12 campaign
- Gosnell is the second freshman this season to score in double figures in their first-career start (
Tierra Wilson vs. Georgia Tech; 11/10/17; 15 points)
- Plummer has reached double-digit rebounds in all four games this season, as she's averaging 13.5 rebounds per game. Her 16 boards are the first time a Mountaineer has amassed 15-plus off the glass since KeKe Cooper corralled 16
in a road win at Troy on Jan. 28, 2016.
- Plummer's performance on the glass is the most a player in the Sun Belt has recorded in a game this season.
- Craven's 15 points are the most she's scored since returning from her ACL injury, while it's also the most she has scored at the Holmes Center.
