GREENVILLE, N.C. --
Ronshad Shabazz had a game-high 25 points and
Justin Forrest added 24, but Appalachian State men's basketball suffered a tough 83-81 setback at ECU on Friday evening.
Shabazz finished 10-of-20 (50.0 percent) from the field and went a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. He also moved into seventh place on the all-time scoring list, passing Rick Howe (1,593) and D.J. Thompson (1,599) in the contest.
Forrest shot 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from the field and added two steals. He has now scored over 20 points in three games this season.
Isaac Johnson tallied eight points and a season-high tying 13 rebounds.
A layup from Shabazz with 10:37 remaining in the game gave the Mountaineers (2-5) a 64-51 advantage. ECU (5-4) cut the lead to 65-59 with an 8-1 run, before a layup from
Jake Wilson at the 7:26 mark of the second half put App State up 67-59.
The Pirates used a 7-0 spurt later in the half to cut the Black and Gold lead down to one point at 72-71 with 3:17 to play. App State countered with the next four points to open a 76-71 advantage with 2:48 remaining.
ECU trimmed the Mountaineer lead to one-point again, before a three-pointer from Shabazz with 1:45 to play gave the Mountaineers a 81-77 edge. From there, ECU scored six consecutive points to take an 83-81 lead in the closing seconds. App State held the final possession and a desperation three-pointer as the clock expired by Forrest was no good.
App State opened the game by scoring the first five points and built a 23-17 lead midway through the opening half. The Black and Gold took a 37-27 lead on a jumper by Shabazz, but ECU closed the half on a 13-5 run to cut the Mountaineer lead to 42-40 at the intermission.
The Black and Gold shot 52.5 percent (32-of-61) from the field, while ECU shot 46.7 percent (28-of-60). Jayden Gardner led the Pirates with 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while Seth LeDay added 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
Appalachian State will return to Boone for two consecutive home games. The Mountaineers will host Howard on Tuesday at 7 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. contest on Dec. 8 versus North Carolina Central. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Season tickets and individual game tickets are on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by
clicking here or by calling the Appalachian State ticket office at 828-262-2079. Single game tickets can be purchased by
clicking here or by contacting the Appalachian State ticket office at 828-262-2079.
