BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's basketball (7-5, 1-0 SBC) showcased resiliency and persistence in a 71-63 triumph over previously unbeaten South Alabama (11-1, 0-1 SBC) in the Sun Belt opener on Thursday evening in the Holmes Center.
With the win on Thursday, it's the first Sun Belt opening victory for the Mountaineers since the 2015-16 season when they defeated ULM on the road. The win also comes against a South Alabama squad that was receiving votes in the Coaches Poll and ranked 23rd in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 ranking. Appalachian stays unblemished at home with a 6-0 mark, giving it the longest win streak at home since 2012-13 when the Apps won six in a row in the Holmes Center.
Lainey Gosnell brushed off a 0-for-5 start and scored a game and season-high 18 points, which all came in the second half. Highlighting her hot 7-of-12 shooting in the second stanza was a 10-point fourth quarter that occurred over a 4:34 span. Trailing 57-54 with 7:36 left in the game, Gosnell hit four key field goals including a pair of 3-pointers that resulted in a 10-2 run to give Appalachian a commanding 64-59 lead.
Appalachian finished off the game with more clutch free throw shooting, as
Pre Stanley and
Ashley Polacek went a combined 7-of-8 from the line to seal the second straight win over the Jags in the all-time series. App finished the game 16-of-19 from the line for an impressive clip of 84.2 percent.
Also doing her part in the scoring column was Stanley, who was right behind Gosnell with 17 points. She did her damage from the free throw line going 9-for-10 and snagged seven off the glass.
Bayley Plummer pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds for her fourth game of the season with at least 15 boards. She was one point shy of her third double-double of the season. Plummer's defense was a key cog in the win, limiting South Alabama's leading scorer, Antoinette Lewis to just six points and six shot attempts. The six points for Lewis is the second-lowest outing for the sophomore.
Madi Story rounded out the leading scorers with 10 points and seven boards, while
Ashley Polacek dished out a game-best seven assists.
App State's fourth quarter was the difference, outscoring South Alabama 23-10 in the period. Aiding in the Black and Gold's impressive execution was a stingy defense that held the Sun Belt's top shooting team to just 21.4 percent (3-of-14) from the floor. App also outrebounded South Alabama, 15-7, in the frame. The edge on the glass led to a 53-43 advantage for the Black and Gold. The plus-10 rebounding margin is the largest margin South Alabama has been outrebounded by on the boards this season.
The Jaguars came in shooting a conference-high 45.3 percent from the floor and averaging 74.5 points per game. App held USA to below both of its averages in each category. In addition, the Mountaineers scored more than 10 points above the Jags' allowed average per game of 60.9 points.
The Mountaineers clawed all evening after falling early in the contest following a 23-14 advantage in the first quarter by the visitors. App's largest deficit was at 10 points, 29-19, before a trifecta by Stanley and three straight points by Story cut the lead in half to four. However, back-to-back buckets in the final 22 seconds doubled the Jaguars' lead to eight, 33-25, at the break.
In the third quarter, App climbed to within one possession separations in the final two minutes of the period.
Maya Calder brought down an offensive board for an old-fashion three-point play and Polacek's jumper also brought the hosts to within three. South Alabama kept answering Appalachian's run until the fourth quarter when it was all App State.
App State will look to keep the momentum going on Saturday against Troy, who defeated Coastal Carolina in its Sun Belt opener on Thursday evening. Tip is slated for 2 p.m. in the Holmes Center.
Quotable
Coach Elderkin on the Win over South Alabama
"It's one game, and its a great start to a very long path to New Orleans. But for our team to stay undefeated at home, knocking off a team that's 23rd in the mid-major poll and getting top 25 votes, it is a major step for our program. We're very excited about the win tonight, and we'll and get ready for another tough team in Troy tomorrow."
Tip-Ins
- App State is 5-5 all-time against South Alabama.
- The Apps are 4-1 coming off a loss this season.
- Plummer is now 11th all-time in career rebounds with 656, surpassing Courtney Freeman (2009-13).
- Story is 24 all-time in scoring with 1,011-career points.
- App has outrebounded its opponents in 10 of 12 games this season.
- Story led the team in plus/minus with a plus-13, while Gosnell was a plus-12.
- Plummer led the team with a PER of 19.
- The Mountaineers tied a season high with nine steals.
- App has committed 14 or fewer turnovers in three of the last four games.
