BOONE, N.C. – Coming off a 2-0 week at the Fort Myers Tip-Off Event in Fort Myers, Fla., the App State Mountaineers (3-2) return home for the first time since Nov. 7 to square off with the Austin Peay Governors (3-3) on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
The Mountaineers will return home to play in the Holmes Center for the first time in 19 days after traveling to Illinois, Oregon and Florida in between. App State's home game on Sunday will mark the beginning of a 34-day stretch where the Mountaineers will remain in the state of North Carolina. The team will not leave the state again until Jan. 4, 2024.
With two wins in Fort Myers against UNC Wilmington and Murray State, the Mountaineers claimed the Palms Division Crown at the Fort Myers Tip-Off Event. App State's two wins on consecutive days marked the first time the Mountaineers have won two games on consecutive days since the Black & Gold won four games in four days en route to the Sun Belt championship in 2020-21.
The Matchup
- Who: App State vs. Austin Peay
- Where: Holmes Convocation Center // Boone, N.C.
- When: Sunday, Aug. 26 // 1 p.m.
Tune In
- Watch: ESPN+
- Listen: 97.3 WKBC, 96.5/1450 WATA, 790/93.7 WETB, 1250/103.9 WBRM
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers grinded out a win over the Murray State Racers in the Palms Division finale on Wednesday. Neither team shot over 40 percent for the contest, but App State was able to maintain their distance and come away with the win thanks to timely made free throws and good three-point defense.
Three Mountaineers crossed the 10-point threshold on Wednesday with
Donovan Gregory leading the way, scoring 16. Gregory's 16 points marks the fifth game in a row that he has scored at least 10 points. Additionally, App State's three double-digit scorers extended its streak of consecutive games with at least two double-digit scorers to 11 straight games.
The Mountaineer defense stepped up last week in Fort Myers as they held both teams well below their season average point tally. UNC Wilmington came into Tuesday's game averaging 96 points per game, but App State held the high-powered Seahawk offense to just 56, while also holding the Racers 26 points below their season average of 83 on Wednesday.
Scouting the Mountaineers
Expectations are high for the Mountaineers coming into the 2023-24 campaign as they were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt in the preseason coaches poll, giving them their highest preseason conference ranking since they were picked to be the co-favorites in the Southern Conference in 2010-11.
App State has had no problem scoring the ball thus far this season as they are averaging 77.8 points per game and have scored at least 70 points in four of their first five games this season. The last time the Mountaineers netted 70 or more points in four of their first five games came in 2020-21.
The Mountaineers boast a balanced offensive attack as five players currently average at least eight points. Additionally, four players score at least 10 per night with
Donovan Gregory leading the charge, scoring 14.6 points a night, which is good for the 12th-highest mark in the Sun Belt.
Offensive rebounding and second-chance points have been a major component of App State's offensive production so far this season as they have pulled down at least 10 offensive rebounds in all but one contest this season, which has led to 59 second-chance points. The Mountaineers' 63-41 advantage on the offensive glass is led by
Tre'Von Spillers who is averaging the fourth-most offensive boards in the Sun Belt (3.2).
Scouting the Governors
Austin Peay is 3-3 on the young season and will make its first trip in program history to the High Country on Sunday. The Governors spent Feast Week playing in the 2023 SoCal Challenge where they went 1-2.
The Governors have struggled to score the ball this season as they are scoring the second-fewest points in the ASUN this season. DeMarcus Sharp comes into play on Sunday leading the offensive attack for Austin Peay averaging 18.5 points per game, which is the third-highest clip in the ASUN.
Defensively, Austin Peay allows just the second-fewest points in the ASUN. The Governors currently have three players in the top 16 in the ASUN in blocks per game, while allowing just 66.5 points a game.
Series History
The Mountaineers and Governors will meet for the first time on Sunday, marking the fourth opponent this season that App State will face for the first time. App State is 2-1 this season against teams they have faced for the first time, beating Oakland City and Murray State in the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season.
Kerns has never coached against the Governors and none of the players have seen the floor against Austin Peay.
Next Up
App State will renew one of their longest rivalries in program history on Wednesday as they welcome the ETSU Buccaneers to the Holmes Center on Wednesday. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
