CONWAY, S.C. -- Appalachian State men's basketball will begin its three-game road trip at Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be heard across the Appalachian IMG Sports Network.
THE SERIES
- This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two schools, with the Black and Gold holding a 3-1 edge.
- The Mountaineers have won three straight in the series. App State posted a 77-73 win over the Chanticleers in Boone in the 2016-17 regular season finale and recorded a 81-66 win in Conway and a 76-67 victory in Boone last season.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Black and Gold fell to Texas State on Jan. 12 by a 70-69 score in the Holmes Center.
- Isaac Johnson tallied his fifth double-double of the season with a game-high tying 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Justin Forrest added 12 points for the Mountaineers.
- Off the bench, Tyrell Johnson tallied 12 points on 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) shooting off the bench. O'Showen Williams chipped in with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and a career-high two blocks in a reserve role. Over the last two games, the App State bench is averaging 27.0 points.
- The Mountaineers held a 35-33 lead at the break thanks to a three at the buzzer by Forrest. In the second half, Texas State opened a seven-point lead. The Mountaineers trimmed the deficit to one point, but the Bobcats converted on four free throws in the closing seconds for the one-point victory.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
- App State enters Saturday's contest with at 5-12 overall and 0-4 in the Sun Belt.
- O'Showen Williams has reached double figures in three of his last four games and is averaging 9.3 points on 50.0 percent (13-of-26) shooting during that span.
- Over his last two games, Tyrell Johnson is averaging 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
- On Saturday against Texas State, the Mountaineer bench poured in 29 points. It marked the second straight game the App State bench scored 25 or more points and the sixth time this season.
- Isaac Johnson's 12-rebound performance was his seventh double-digit rebound performance of the season. He currently leads the Sun Belt in rebounding, pulling down 8.8 rpg.
SCOUTING THE CHANTICLEERS
- Coastal Carolina fell to UT Arlington 61-58 on Jan. 12 to drop to 7-9 on the season and 1-3 in Sun Belt play.
- Zac Cuthbertson paced the Chanticleers with a game-high 17 points. Off the bench, DeVante Jones had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists and Tyrell Gumbs-Frater chipped in with 10 points.
- On the season, Cuthbertson leads Coastal Carolina in scoring (18.9 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg), shooting percentage (.510) and assists (48).
- As a team, the Chanticleers are limiting opponents to 31.1 percent shooting, which ranks second in the Sun Belt. Coastal Carolina is also shooting 39.0 percent on three-pointers, which ranks second in the league.
NEXT UP
The Mountaineers will head to Arkansas next week for a pair of games. The Black and Gold will take on Arkansas State on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN+, followed by a contest at Little Rock on Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
