Balanced Attack Leads Men's Basketball Past Howard

BOONE, N.C. -- In a matchup between two of the top scoring teams in the nation, Appalachian State men's basketball saw five players reach double figures in a 100-86 victory over Howard on Tuesday evening in the Holmes Center.

The Bison (5-3) entered the game ranked 11th in the nation, averaging 88.7 points, while the Mountaineers sat in a tie for 24th place, averaging 86.0 points.

Justin Forrest had a game-high tying 21 points on 7-of-14 (50.0 percent) shooting. He added a season-high nine rebounds.

Ronshad Shabazz also had 21 points on 8-of-16 (50.0 percent) shooting. He pulled down a season-high tying five rebounds and dished out three assists. In addition, Shabazz continued his ascent up the all-time scoring list, moving past Darryl Robinson (1,631) for sixth place.

Tyrell Johnson poured in a season-high 20 points on 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) shooting and a 3-of-4 (75.0 percent) mark from deep, while adding six rebounds and two blocks.

Isaac Johnson posted his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while adding a season-high tying six assists. Adrian Delph added 11 points and four rebounds in a reserve role.

With the score knotted at 12-12 in the early going, Shabazz scored eight consecutive points to give the Black and Gold a 20-12 lead with 13:29 left in the first half. After Howard pulled to within four points at 22-18, App State countered with a 12-2 run to build a 34-20 edge. The Mountaineers took a 45-32 lead into the half.

In the second half, the Black and Gold scored the first 11 points to expand its advantage to 56-32. App State built as large of a lead as 23 points in the second half and did not allow the Bison any closer than 14 points for the remainder of the game.

R.J. Cole and Charles Williams each scored 19 points to pace Howard.

The Black and Gold shot 54.4 percent (37-of-68) from the field, which marks the second highest shooting percentage for the Mountaineers this season. In addition, App State pulled down a season-high 49 rebounds, including a season-best 15 on the offensive glass.

Appalachian State will be back at it on Saturday, hosting North Carolina Central at 2 p.m. in the Holmes Center. The contest 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.