BOONE, N.C. - A three-point barrage coupled with a balanced scoring effort led App State women's basketball to a 79-65 victory over Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon at the Holmes Center.
App State snapped a four-game skid at home, improved to 10-10 overall and 7-7 in Sun Belt action. Coastal Carolina is now 3-11 and 0-10 in league play.
Four players scored in double figures with Lainey Gosnell scoring a team-high 16 points on five baskets (three trifectas). Tierra Wilson came alive off the bench to score a season-best 15 points off five 3-pointers. Pre Stanley and Michaela Porter both scored 14 points to round out the leaders. Stanley was an efficient 6-of-8 from the field, tied a season-best with eight rebounds, and dished out four assists. Porter grabbed seven off the glass, tallied three assists, and picked up four steals.
It was the best offensive performance of the season, as the Apps scored a season-high in points and drained a season-best 14 3-pointers. The Mountaineers were one 3-pointer off from tying the single-game program record, while the 47.4 percent from the field is a season-best. App State posted a season-high 16 assists on 27 field goals, with seven players tallying at least one helper.
The Chanticleers' only lead came in the first quarter when they were up 10-9. Back-to-back treys by Brooke Bigott and Wilson followed by a layup at the buzzer by Janay Sanders gave the Apps a 17-12 advantage going into the second period.
Five quick points thanks to a pair of free throws by Sanders and a 3-pointer by Gosnell to start the second period pushed the lead to 22-12. Coastal cut the lead to single digits moments later before App State stretched the lead to as much as 15 in the first half, 38-23. Appalachian went into the half in control up by 12.
A 7-0 spurt early in the third period for the Chanticleers sliced the gap down to just four, 42-38. App State responded with a run of its own of eight straight points to grow the lead back to double digits. After Aja Blount hit a layup with 1:53 left in the frame, Wilson hit a 3-pointer with five seconds left to send the Black and Gold into the final quarter with a 56-44 edge.
Wilson's bucket started a stretch of five straight field goals that carried over into the final period. The Apps went 7-of-9 over a 6:34 span to give the Mountaineers their largest lead at 21 points. Appalachian pulled away for its third straight win in the series and first season sweep of the Chanticleers since they joined the league.
Appalachian's reserves outscored CCU's, 25-4, and scored 22 points off 17 Coastal turnovers.
Deaja Richardson scored a personal-high 27 points for Coastal Carolina. Aja Blount notched a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.
App State will return to action next weekend on the final road trip of the regular season in Mobile, Ala. The Apps face South Alabama on Friday and Saturday.
Tip-Ins
- App is now 6-2 when registering 20 or more points off turnovers.
- App State shot 24-of-53 (45.2 percent) from deep in the series against Coastal Carolina.
- The 24 3-pointers are the most over a two-game stretch since the Apps hit 24 against ULM (15) and Georgia State (9) in 2017-18.
- It's the first time since the 2006-07 season the Apps hit double-digit 3-pointers in back-to-back games.
- Porter and Wilson were both a team-high plus-23.
- Porter has six games with at least three steals.
- App State is 5-1 when it records at least 13 assists.
- The Mountaineers are 8-0 when scoring 70 or more points.
- The 112.9 offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) is a season-high.
- App State is 8-1 when its offensive rating is 89 or higher.
