Women's Basketball Looks to Even Weekend at Troy

BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State women's basketball aims for a 1-1 finish in the opening weekend of Sun Belt play against Troy at 3 p.m. (ET).

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About the Mountaineers

Last Time Out
A slow start and finish doomed the Mountaineers in the Sun Belt opener at South Alabama. The Mountaineers struggled on offense in the first 15 minutes of the contest, highilghted by a 4:18 drought in the second quarter. App State sliced an 18-point gap to seven late in the fourth quarter after a 7-of-10 stretch. However, the Black and Gold hit just three shots over the final 8:49 of the game. Pre Stanley led four Mountaineers in double figures with at team-high 19 points. . Lainey Gosnell (12 points) and Ashley Polacek (11 points) scored 20 of their combined 23 points in the second half. Polacek also added five boards and three assists. Gosnell recorded her fourth game with at least 10 points and five boards after collecting eight off the glass. Bayley Plummer posted her 25th-career game with at least 15 boards, corralling 15 off the glass. Nicola Mathews scored a season-high 10 points with three assists, which was also a season best. 

What to Watch for
- App State is first in the Sun Belt and 44th in the country in fewest fouls given up. See if the Mountaineers can stay out of foul trouble against a Troy team that is sixth in the country in free throw attempts.
- Appalachian is leading the league in defensive rebound percentage (759). Watch if the Black and Gold can keep Troy off the glass on the offensive end. The Trojans average a nation-high 23.5 offensive rebounds per game.
- The Apps have averaged 19.3 turnovers over the past four games against Troy. See if Appalachian can protect the ball against the uptempo Trojans.
- Stanley is averaging 16.3 points per game for her career against Troy (four games). Watch if the junior can continue to score against the Trojans.
- Watch if the Black and Gold can hit outside from long range. The Trojans are allowing 9.3-made 3-pointers over the past three games. The most in a three-game stretch this season. 

Scouting Troy
- The Trojans are 10-2 and 1-0 in the Sun Belt after fending off Coastal Carolina in their league opener on Thursday, 84-77.
-  Four players scored in double figures with Jasmine Robinson pouring in 15 points.
- Three Trojans posted nine boards. 
- Robinson is averaging a team-high 13.2 points per game and 2.7 assists per contest. 
- Alexus Dye leads the team pulling down 8.4 rebounds per game. 
- Troy is first in the country in possessions per 40 min (83.7). 
- The Trojans have been known to crash hard at the glass, averaging 23.5 offensive rebounds per game, which is first in the country. 
- Troy is also sixth in the nation in free throw attempts (317). 
- The Trojans are undefeated at home and on a seven-game win streak. 
- Troy is 12th in the nation in scoring at a clip of 80.6 points per game.

Series History
- App State is 1-8 all-time against Troy. 
- The Mountaineers' lone win came in 2015-16 on Troy's home floor. 

What's Next
App State will face UTA on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Sun Belt home opener.