BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's basketball (20-14) aims for its second WBI Finals appearance on Wednesday when it hosts Campbell (23-12) on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Holmes Center.
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About the Mountaineers
Last Time Out
App State's offense came alive in an 83-71 victory over Marshall on Monday in the second round of the Women's Basketball Invitational. All five starters scored in double figures for the first time this season with
Pre Stanley firing in a career-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 from the line.
Bayley Plummer, for the second time against the Thundering Herd, collected 21 rebounds to tie a career high and added 11 points for her eighth double-double of the season. Marshall stormed back to cut the lead to one after trailing by 15, but the Mountaineers pulled away late thanks to Stanley and
Ashley Polacek scoring 24 of the Mountaineers' 30 points in the final quarter. Polacek scored 11 of her 13 points in the final frame, which was the highest-scoring period this season.
Plummer Milestone
After her fourth-career game with at least 20 rebounds, Plummer is 15 rebounds away from setting the single-season record for boards at 436. The record is 435 set by Valorie Whiteside in the 1984-85 season. The Thomasville, N.C. native is fourth all-time in rebounds with 948 and needs 22 rebounds to surpass Anna Freeman for third.
What to Watch for
- In the win over Marshall on Monday, the Mountaineers turned the ball over just six times, which is a season best. In the Camels' wins, they force 18.5 turnovers per game, while just 12.5 in their losses. See if App can continue to protect the ball.
- In the four wins during the postseason, the Apps have gotten off to fast starts, outscoring their foes by 29 points in the first quarter. It's the highest margin out of any quarter. See if the Black and Gold can get off to a strong start.
- In the last two games at home, the Mountaineers are averaging 83 points and shooting 44.1 percent from the field. See if the offense can continue its solid play against Campbell.
- App State scored 17 points off of turnovers against Marshall on Monday, improving to 10-4 this season when it tallies at least 15 points off of miscues. Watch if the defense can take advantage of Campbell's mistakes.
- Campbell's 68.0 pace of play is tied for last in the Big South with App State's WBI first round opponent, UNC Asheville. See if the Black and Gold can control the tempo on Saturday.
Scouting Campbell
- The Camels have been playing well as they're 12-4 over their last 16 games going into Saturday.
- Campbell defeated a familiar App State in Coastal Carolina (58-54) in the first round before defeating Tennessee Tech in the second round, 70-62.
- Campbell was led by Hayley Barber's 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field.
- Shyanne Tuelle scored 13 points and dished out five assists.
- Campbell defeated a familiar App State foe in Coastal Carolina in the WBI first round.
- Despite having zero players averaging double figures, Campbell boasts seven players turning in at least 5.0 points per game.
- Tuelle leads the team with a scoring average of 9.1 per contest.
- Barber leads the team in assists per game at 3.9 per game.
- Campbell boasts one of the top defenses in the country, as it ranks ninth in 3-point field goal defense (26.7%), 14th in field goal percentage defense (35.7%) and 16th in scoring defense (55.9).
Series History
It's the first meeting since 2012 between the Mountaineers and the Camels. App State is 11-7 all-time against Campbell including a 69-54 win in the previous meeting. The series is tied, 4-4, in the Holmes Center.
What's Next
A win on Saturday would clinch an appearance in the WBI finals. App State would play the winner of North Alabama and North Texas from the other side of the bracket. The Lions and Mean Green
play on Friday evening at 8 p.m. ET in Denton, Texas.
