BOONE, N.C. — The App State women's basketball team is headed to Richmond, Ky., for a Friday night non-conference clash against Eastern Kentucky. The game is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Baptist Health Arena and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers opened the 2022-23 campaign at reigning C-USA champion and NCAA tournament squad Charlotte on Nov. 8, dropping a 98-94 heartbreaker to the 49ers in two overtimes.
The Mountaineers took a 20-15 lead in the first quarter, with their momentum carrying them to halftime with a 39-28 lead. App State built a 67-48 lead, but Charlotte steadily closed the deficit and tied the Mountaineers at 74-all to force overtime. App State fought back, tying the score at 85-all heading into the second overtime, but Charlotte sealed the game to win by four.
In her debut in the Black and Gold, graduate transfer
Lauren Carter scored a career-high 25 points, sinking 6 of 8 shots from behind the 3-point line. Freshman Chaé Harris also made a strong start to her collegiate career, racking up 22 points and sinking 5 of 6 free throws. Harris also notched a team-high seven rebounds on the night. Redshirt senior
Janay Sanders and sophomore
Emily Carver also posted double figures, scoring 17 and 15 points, respectively.
App State recorded 28 bench points and 40 points in the paint.
Last Time Against EKU
Last season, App State met EKU in Boone on Dec. 21, 2021 and fell in double overtime, 89-84. Michaela Porter led the charge against EKU, scoring a team-high 23 points. Sanders,
Zada Porter and Carver each dropped 11 points on the night. Michaela Porter was also 7 of 8 from the free throw line.
App State shot 100 percent from the free throw line in the second overtime period and 58.6 percent from the charity line for the game as a whole. The Mountaineers also scored 26 points off the bench and 36 points in the paint.
App State's all-time record against EKU is 2-5.
Scouting EKU
Eastern Kentucky is 0-1 after falling to Evansville, 89-81, on Nov. 7. Antwainette Walker led the Colonels, posting a career-high 29 points on 12-of-14 shooting, and she tallied 10 rebounds. Ariel Kirkwood recorded a double-double, earning 11 points and 15 rebounds, while Alice Recanati dished out a team-high six assists.
Last season, EKU went 15-16 (7-9 ASUN). The Colonels posted a triple-digit win over Union (Ky.) on Nov. 22 and went on a five-game win streak from Dec. 18 to Jan. 8. In the ASUN Tournament, the third-seeded Colonels defeated No. 6 seed Kennesaw State before falling to No. 2 seed Liberty in the quarterfinals.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will open play at Holmes Convocation Center on Monday, hosting local Division II opponent Lees-McRae. App State will then host Norfolk State on Nov. 17. Both games will tip at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+. The Black and Gold will then head to Morgantown, W.Va., to face Big 12 contender West Virginia for a battle of the Mountaineers on Nov. 20.
