Mountaineers Open Season Against Charlotte

BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team is set to open the 2022-23 season with a trip down the mountain to face Charlotte on Tuesday at Halton Arena in Charlotte, N.C. The game is set for a 6 p.m. tipoff and will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
 
2021-22 Season Review
The Mountaineers went 14-12 (8-4 SBC) last season, finishing fourth in the conference, their highest finish since joining the league in 2014. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, the Black and Gold went on a three-game win streak, posting victories over UNC-Asheville, ETSU and Gardner-Webb. In conference play, App State recorded five consecutive wins spanning from Jan. 15 to Jan. 29, defeating Little Rock, Louisiana, ULM and Coastal Carolina (twice). On Feb. 12, App State nabbed an 84-78 overtime victory over Georgia State in Atlanta and returned to Holmes Convocation Center to defeat Texas State, 73-55, on Feb. 19. The Mountaineers capped the regular season with a 72-50 victory over South Alabama in Boone, N.C. App State earned the No. 4 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, but fell to No. 5 seeded Little Rock, 70-58, in the quarterfinal on March 4.
 
App State's Roster at a Glance
This season's team is composed of 10 returners and five newcomers. Returning as a graduate student is Brooke Bigott. Joining Bigott as a graduate student is fellow guard and graduate transfer Lauren Carter (Morehead State). Janay Sanders returns to the court as a redshirt senior and Taylor Lewis returns as a senior. App State's juniors are Dane Bertolina, Faith Alston, and redshirt junior A'Lea Gilbert. This season's sophomores are Mariah Frazier, Emily Carver, Zada Porter and redshirt Summer Schloss. Composing the incoming class is Alexis Black, Chaé Harris, Nadiyah Byard and Lexi Grant. 
 
Sanders averaged 12.5 points per game en route to third-team All-Sun Belt accolades last year. The Charlotte, N.C., native posted a field-goal percentage of .521, which was fourth-best among all Sun Belt players. She also averaged 3.0 rebounds, made 54 assists and posted 23 steals.
 
Also making her return is Alston, who averaged 9.8 points per game and dished out a team-high 81 assists last year. Her 3.2 assists per game were eighth-most in the league. Alston boasted a .729 free throw percentage, making 35 of 48 free throws.
 
Carver was the Sun Belt's second-most proficient 3-point shooter last season, averaging 1.8 treys per contest.
 
Preseason Recognition & Preseason Coaches Poll
Sanders and Alston garnered Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference honors, joining seven Mountaineers who have earned preseason nods since App State joined the conference in 2014. Sanders was named to the second team, and Alston was named to the third team. App State was picked eighth in the Preseason Coaches Poll. 
 
Last Time Against Charlotte
The Mountaineers last met Charlotte on Nov. 25, 2020 in Boone for their 2020-21 season opener, defeating the 49ers 74-68. It was a tight-knit affair until App State went on a 16-5 third-quarter run. The Mountaineers earned 20 points off turnovers as well as 24 second-chance points.
 
Pre Stanley racked up a team-high 20 points, sinking nine of the Mountaineers' 17 free throws. Michaela Porter recorded 13 points on the night as well as a team-high 11 rebounds. Bigott drained three of App State's 3-pointers and also recorded six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal on the night. 
 
App State's all-time record against the 49ers is 5-16. 
 
Scouting Charlotte
Charlotte returns 12 tenured players from last season's squad that won 22 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the Conference USA champion. 
 
Back for the 2022-23 season is Mikayla Boykin, who led the team in steals with 53 (averaging 1.8 per game) and who checked in at second on the team in the points, FG, 3PT, FT, rebounds, assists and blocks. Jada McMillian, the team's leader in assists (3.9 per game) and minutes played (34.7 per game) last season, also makes her return to the court. 
 
Last season Charlotte went 22-10 (15-3 C-USA). The 49ers used win streaks of five, four and five on their way to 15 conference victories. In the C-USA Tournament, the No. 4 seeded 49ers defeated No. 4 seed Rice and No. 2 seed North Texas to face No. 1 seed Louisiana Tech in the championship game. Winning the C-USA title with a 68-63 win over Louisiana Tech, Charlotte punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, where the No. 14 Niners fell to No. 3 seed and No. 11 ranked Indiana, 85-51, in the opening round. 
 
Up Next
The Mountaineers will travel to Richmond, Ky., to take on Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 11. Friday's 7 p.m. game will be broadcasted on ESPN+.