BOONE, N.C. – App State won its fourth straight game to remain atop the Sun Belt Conference standings with a 66-61 triumph over Coastal Carolina on Wednesday at the Holmes Convocation Center.
In front of several groups of children from nearby school districts for Education Day, the Mountaineers (10-8, 4-1 SBC) secured another home win against the visiting Chanticleers (12-5, 2-4 SBC) who would never let App State put the score completely out of reach.
Alexia Allesch scored 20 points with 11 rebounds, and
Michaela Porter added 18.
"I'm really proud of our team," said App State head coach
Angel Elderkin. "We didn't necessarily take the best shots, probably didn't execute our defense or rebounding as well, but we played really hard. We talk a lot about how our effort can overcome execution, and I thought our kids really battled. Proud of our team for continuing to find a way to win."
App State used a 15-2 run to take a 60-51 lead with just over three minutes remaining, but Coastal Carolina made a couple of timely 3-pointers to make it a 3-point game at the 2:22 mark. After
Janay Sanders scored the next three points to give the Mountaineers a six-point advantage with 1:01 left, Coastal kept fighting with makes on their next two possessions to make it 63-61 with just 28 seconds on the clock.
After a flurry of timeouts, substitutions and officials reviews over the next 10 seconds of the game clock, Sanders made another free throw, and
Emily Carver iced it with the game's final two free throws for the final 66-61 tally.
Allesch, who was recognized Tuesday as the Sun Belt's Player of the Week for her performances last week, stayed red hot in this game. Three of her eight field goals were from 3-point land, and she collected her sixth double-double of the season and fifth in her last six contests.
Over her last five games, Allesch is averaging 16.4 points and 10.4 rebounds.
Coastal Carolina jumped out to a 15-5 lead early, but App State led 26-21 by the end of the first quarter thanks to a furious 21-6 run to close the period, including 12 points from Allesch.
App State extended its lead to as big as 10 in the third quarter, before the Chanticleers steadily chipped away until it was tied at 43-43.
