BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team is set to open the 2023-24 campaign Monday as it plays host to UNC Greensboro. Monday's game is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Head coach Angel Elderkin will be at Birdies Coffee & Treats, located at 3737 US-321 in Blowing Rock, N.C., on Monday morning from 8-10 a.m. and will be giving the first 100 customers a free ticket to Monday's game against the Spartans.
The first 50 students who enter the Holmes Center through the southwest gate on Monday or at Saturday's 2 p.m. game against Ohio will have the opportunity to claim a guaranteed ticket to the Dec. 3 men's basketball game against Auburn.
2022-23 Season Rewind
App State is looking to improve upon last season's 11-20 (6-12 SBC) record. The Mountaineers drained 233 3-pointers during the season, recording a new single-season record. The Black and Gold recorded the program's 19th triple-digit victory with a 107-52 win over Johnson C. Smith on Dec. 10, marking the first triple-digit victory under Elderkin's tenure. In the Sun Belt Tournament, the No. 10 seeded Mountaineers defeated Louisiana, 51-38, in the first round. In the quarterfinal, App State fell to No. 2 seed Texas State.
Nine Mountaineers return from the 2022-23 season including preseason all-conference honoree Emily Carver, who led the Sun Belt in 3-pointers per game. Carver was the Mountaineers' top scorer in 10 games and contributed 76 of App State's single-season record 233 made 3-pointers. She also finished the season ranked in the top 55 nationally for 3-pointers made per game. Faith Alston returns to the court for her senior season. Alston ranked eighth in the conference for assists per game (3.6) and fifth for assists per game in conference-only play. Alston led the team in assists (101) and ranked second on the team for rebounds (124) and steals (36).
Joining the Mountaineers this season are true freshmen Tate Chappell, MaKenzie Drout and Lexi Bugajski in addition to transfers J'Mani Ingram, Rylan Moffitt, Jurnee McLaurin and Samantha LaFon.
Last Time Against UNC Greensboro
App State last met UNC Greensboro on Dec. 29, 2019, in Greensboro, where they fell to the Spartans, 54-47. Brooke Bigott and Lainey Gosnell netted 12 points each. Bigott drilled 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and pulled down four rebounds. Bayley Plummer pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds while Pre Stanley went 3-of-4 from the line.
Scouting UNC Greensboro
UNCG will also be tipping off its season in Boone. Last season, the Spartans went 16-14 (8-6 SoCon). As the No. 4 seed in the SoCon Tournament, UNCG edged past No. 5 Mercer, 63-59, in an overtime thriller before falling to No. 1 Wofford in the semifinal round, 68-63.
Eight Spartans return from UNCG's 2022-23 squad. Isys Grady was named to the SoCon Preseason All-Conference team after notching four double-doubles and averaging 8.5 points per game as a sophomore last season. She also was second on the team for rebounds (141) and third on the team in field goal attempts (287).
On the Horizon
The Mountaineers will host Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. in the first of two games in the MAC/SBC Challenge. Saturday's game will be Youth Day and will be streamed on ESPN+. The second game of the MAC/SBC Challenge is scheduled for Feb. 10, with the opponent being announced in January based on conference standings.
