PENSACOLA, Fla. - No. 2 seed App State and No. 3 seed Georgia State - the teams that made up last year's Sun Belt championship game matchup - square off in Sunday's semifinals at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. This game features the Sun Belt's top scoring defense in App State (62.3 ppg allowed) against a Georgia State squad that averages north of 70 points per outing.
Date: Sunday, March 5, 2022
Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
Teams: (2) App State vs. (3) Georgia State
Location: Pensacola, Fla. (
Pensacola Bay Center)
Radio: 97.3 WKBC; 1450 WATA • Matt Present (pxp)
TV: ESPN+ • Matt Stewart (pxp), Nate Ross (analyst), Shelby Coppedge (sideline)
THE SERIES
- This will be the 19th meeting between the two schools. The all-time series is tied 9-9, and each team won on the other's home court in this year's regular season (App State 61-60 in Atlanta; Georgia State 58-49 in Boone).
- The Mountaineers won three of four meetings last year, including an 80-73 victory in the Sun Belt championship game that propelled them to the NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT
- The winner of this game will advance to face the winner of the other semifinal game between No. 4 seed Troy and No. 8 seed Louisiana. Monday's championship game to determine the Sun Belt's automatic NCAA Tournament berth is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
NOTABLES
- With a 73-60 quarterfinal win over Georgia Southern, App State captured its fifth straight Sun Belt tournament victory after winning 4-of-4 on its way to the championship last season. The Mountaineers are 6-1 in Sun Belt tourney games under head coach Dustin Kerns.
- After not making it out of the Sun Belt tournament quarterfinals in its first six years in the league, App State has advanced to the semifinal round for the second straight season.
- The Mountaineers' 19 wins are their most since a 24-13 campaign in 2009-10 as a member of the Southern Conference. The next win would give the program its' 13th 20-win season.
- App State put together its best Sun Belt record (12-6) since joining the league in 2014-15. The team has clinched three straight winning seasons for the first time since 1997-2000.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
- After receiving a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, App State cruised to a 73-60 win over No. 10 seed Georgia Southern in Saturday's quarterfinal matchup. It was the Mountaineers' third win in their last four outings and their third in three tries against the Eagles this year.
- Justin Forrest led four players in double figures with a season-high 20 points, including five 3-pointers.
- The team's combination of veteran players and a stingy pack line defense helps App State boast some of the most disciplined results in the country. App State is No. 3 in the NCAA in fewest fouls committed per game (12.8) and No. 11 in fewest turnovers committed per game (10.0).
- The team's overall scoring defense of 62.3 ppg leads the Sun Belt and ranks 22nd nationally.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
- Georgia State rolls into the semifinals riding an eight-game winning streak, including its 65-62 win over No. 6 seed Arkansas State in Saturday's quarterfinals.
- The Panthers had an eight-game winning streak last year before the Mountaineers ended it in the Sun Belt tournament championship game.
- All-Sun Belt third-team selections Corey Allen and Kane Williams lead the Panthers in scoring with 13.4 and 12.8 ppg, respectively.
