BOONE, N.C. – The App State women's basketball team defeated the College of Charleston, 77-73, in the Holmes Convocation Center in one of two home battles the Mountaineers have during the month of December. Tuesday's victory was sprinkled with career and season highs for multiple Mountaineers ahead of a three-game road-stretch.
"Coming into this game, College of Charleston was fifth in the country in pace and they had some dynamic guard play, so I was really concerned about our ability to defend them and I'm really still concerned about it because we made the fourth quarter interesting," said head coach
Angel Elderkin. "I think it's great to win and be able to take those concerns to practice tomorrow.
"I'm really proud,
Emily Carver's performance in the third quarter: that's a will to win.
Faith Alston's performance in the first quarter: that's a will to win. I think they're two dynamic scoring guards. I thought that they not only came to play on the offensive side of the ball, but they did a lot of special things defensively."
Junior
Emily Carver and senior
Faith Alston led the charge for the Mountaineers, combining for 48 of App State's 77 points, which included five of the Black and Gold's seven treys. Carver netted a new career-high, scoring 28 points on the evening, while Alston came within four of her career-high, netting 20 points. Alston also dished out a team-high four assists and four steals. Sophomore
Rylan Moffitt pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds and came within two points of a double-double, scoring eight on the night.
App State kept the lead for the entirety of the game, with the College of Charleston only tying the score within the first minute of play. The Mountaineers scored 19 points off the bench, 16 off second chances, and 25 off turnovers. App State also held the Cougars to three 3-point buckets.
"Today was just another really good team win for us," said Elderkin. "This group is still learning how to win, learning how to close games, so while I thought we were going to be on easy street, I like the fact that we're being challenged, have to close out games early. I think this experience can only help us in Sun Belt play."
Alston opened the game with a layup in the paint, putting the Mountaineers up 2-0 early in the first quarter. The Cougars made a layup of their own to tie things up at two all, but the Mountaineers were quick to go on a 7-0 run that included freshman
MaKenzie Drout's first collegiate 3-pointer. As the College of Charleston worked to keep pace, App State extended the lead to 17-13. Over the course of two and a half minutes, the Mountaineers went on a 10-0 run that included layups from junior
J'Mani Ingram and Alston as well as back-to-back treys from sophomore Chaé Harris and Carver, to close out the quarter with a 27-14 lead.
The Mountaineers faced a scoring drought in the second quarter, but maintained a lead despite only netting 11 points. Alston opened the second quarter as she had the first, with a layup in the paint, extending App State's lead to 29-14. Shortly after, Alston knocked down a 3-point bucket for the Black and Gold. Moffitt, Harris, Carver, and Alston contributed six points off free throws to keep the Black and Gold ahead, 38-32, at the half.
Carver found her stride in the third quarter, knocking down 6-of-7 from the field, a perfect 2-of-2 from the arc, and 7-of-9 from the line, accounting for 21 of App State's 29 points in the quarter. Carver made a fastbreak layup, which Ingram followed up with a layup of her own. Carver found momentum midway through the quarter,scoring seven consecutive points for the Mountaineers. Graduate student
Mariah Frazier got to the hoop for a layup, which Carver followed up with another layup. The Mountaineers closed out the third quarter with a 67-51 lead after Carver contributed six freebies.
App State took a 75-65 lead in the fourth and final quarter. The College of Charleston steadily chipped away at the lead as the Mountaineers faced another scoring drought. With 0:49 left to play, the Cougars cut the lead to three (76-73) with a layup, but Carver ensured the Mountaineers' victory with a final free throw with 0:07 left in the game.
UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will start a three-game road-stretch by challenging Richmond in Richmond, Va. on Dec. 10. The game is set for a 2 p.m. tip-off and will be available to stream on ESPN+. App State will then make stops at Boiling Springs, N.C. to take on Gardner-Webb on Dec. 15, as well as Milwaukee, Wis. to clash with Marquette on Dec. 17. The Mountaineers will return to Holmes for a noon clash with Mercer on Dec. 21.
