Mountaineers Set for Second Round Matchup Versus Coastal Carolina

BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's basketball is set for its second round matchup against No. 8 seed Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Tournament at 12:30 pm ET in New Orleans at Lakefront Arena.

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About the Mountaineers

Last Time Out
App State ended the season with a crucial 59-50 win at South Alabama to end the season at 16-13. Bayley Plummer posted 13 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. The defense improved to 15-0 when holding its opponents to 70 points or less. Pre Stanley scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half while Ashley Polacek notched 12 points. Lainey Gosnell (11 points) and Tierra Wilson (8 points) rounded out the leading scorers. 

Previewing the Matchup
The fifth-seeded Mountaineers and eighth-seeded Chanticleers are facing each other for the third time of the season after splitting the season series. App State and CCU recorded a win on its home floor with the Black and Gold downing CCU in the Holmes Center, 67-53, while Coastal got the better of the Mountaineers in Conway, 74-66. It's the second time in the past three tournaments App and CCU have met in the postseason. Appalachian captured a 79-68 victory in the first round of the 2017 Sun Belt Tournament as the ninth seed. The Mountaineers and Chanticleers are two of the top four rebounding teams in the Sun Belt.

Plummer Named Third-Team All-Sun Belt
After leading the Sun Belt in rebounding for a second consecutive season, junior Bayley Plummer was named Third-Team All-Sun on Monday. Plummer's 12.1 rebounds per game lead the conference, while her 1.3 blocks per game are fourth in the league. Plummer registered 21 games with 10 or more rebounds and posted a league-high two games with at least 20 boards. She's the first player since Chastity Gooch (WKU) in 2012-13 to lead the conference in rebounding in consecutive seasons. Her rebounding average is the highest in the league since 1993-94 when Travesa Grant (Lamar) averaged 13.2 rebounds per game. Plummer is one of eight players in league history to lead the conference in rebounds in back-to-back years. 

What to Watch for
- Coastal Carolina scored 17 second-chance points in its win over Arkansas State on Monday. See if the Mountaineers can limit CCU's second-chance opportunities. 
- Stanley is averaging 15 points on 44 percent over the past two games. For her career, Stanley is averaging 15.8 points per game in the month of March. Watch 
if the sophomore keeps up the solid play. 
- The Mountaineers' bench scored 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field in the second matchup. Watch if the bench can give the Black and Gold a spark. 
- In the loss at Coastal, DJ Williams scored a game-high 25 points. Watch if the Mountaineers can contain one of the league's leading scorers. 
- Plummer is coming off one of her best performances in Sun Belt play was her 13-point, 13-rebound effort at South Alabama. She shot 5-of-7 from the field and posted two blocks. Watch
if the junior can build off of her performance. 

Scouting Coastal Carolina 
- Coastal Carolina advanced to the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament with a 63-49 win over Arkansas State on Monday. 
- Four players scored in double figures with Williams pouring in 16 points and added six rebounds and six assists. 
- Naheria Hamilton had a stellar performance with a triple-double of 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 blocks. 
- The Chanticleers finished the season with a 16-13 mark and an 8-10 league mark. 
- CCU is second in the Sun Belt in points per game at 72.8 ppg.
- The Chanticleers are second in the league in rebounding at a rate of 44.0 rpg, while their plus-9.7 rebounding margin is second as well. 
- CCU also averaged 18.6 turnovers per game, which is last in the Sun Belt. 

What's Next
The winner of Appalachian and Coastal Carolina will face No. 4 seed Georgia State in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. CT.