DELAND, Fla. - Appalachian State women's basketball suffered a 61-44 decision to Bethune-Cookman on the first day of the Hatter Classic hosted by Stetson at the Edmunds Center.
The Mountaineers drop to 2-7 while the Wildcats move to 7-3. Appalachian will conclude the tournament with a 1 p.m. contest against Canisius tomorrow.
Ashley Polacek highlighted an App State offense that shot under 30 percent, scoring a game and season-high 21 points with four of her seven field goals from beyond the arc. It's the fifth-career game of 20 points for the senior with four of the 20-point performances coming on the road.
The Mountaineers and Wildcats were in a defensive battle in the first quarter with neither team shooting over 37 percent, while both teams combined for 15 turnovers. App trailed 11-9 going into the second period.
The second frame was a game of runs, as App's 6-0 spurt coupled with a 3:38 scoring drought by BCU gave the Black and Gold their largest lead of the game, 15-11. A
Brooke Bigott trifecta and three free throws by
Pre Stanley led the charge. Then, BCU scored nine straight points followed by a quick 5-0 run that tied up the game 20-20. However, the Wildcats ended the half by scoring the final seven points over the final 3:42 to go into the break with a 27-20 lead.
A Polacek 3-pointer and a Stanley layup cut the gap to within one possession, 27-25. The defending MEAC Tournament champions put together an 11-0 run that pushed the lead to 38-25.
The Apps wouldn't go away as four different Mountaineers scored 16 of the next 24 points to slice the gap to five, 46-41, with 7:47 left in the game. Just when App was gaining momentum, BCU pulled away with a 6-0 surge and taking a double-digit lead that it wouldn't relinquish.
App State held a 35-32 edge on the glass including a 10-3 advantage on the offensive end, but mustered only five second-chance points. The Mountaineers also collected a season-high 12 steals with three different players collecting multiple swipes.
Lainey Gosnell led the team with seven rebounds. Stanley posted nine points, six rebounds and a team-high three assists.
Camary Harris led the Wildcats with 13 points, while six other players scored at least seven points.
