BOONE, N.C. - App State Women's Basketball is slated to take on UNC Greensboro (2-1) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Mountaineers enter Saturday's contest with a 1-1 record after a home victory over Columbia College (S.C.) last time out.
Last Time Out
The Black and Gold defeated Columbia College, 97-43, in its home opener at the Holmes Convocation Center on Nov. 6. Four Mountaineers registered double-figures against the Koalas, led by seniors
J'Mani Ingram and
Mara Neira. Ingram led the team with 18 points, while Neira netted 16 points and accounted for four of the Mountaineers' eight 3-point buckets. Junior
Seneya Martinez pulled down a team-high seven rebounds while senior
Asjah Inniss dished out a team-high five assists.
App State controlled the lead for the duration of the game and tallied 32 points off Koala turnovers. The Black and Gold held the Koalas to under 10 points in three of the four quarters and caused 25 Koala turnovers.
Around the Mountain
Neira, who averages 13.5 points per game, ranks second in the Sun Belt and rounds out the NCAA's top-20 in 3-pointers per game (3.50) in addition to ranking seventh in the SBC in total 3-pointers (7). Martinez averages 13.0 points per contest, while senior
Zada Porter averages 10.5 points per game. Porter is the Mountaineers' top rebounder, averaging six rebounds per contest. Averaging 3.5 assists per game, Inniss leads the team in the assists category. Junior
Elena Pericic ranks seventh in the conference in free throw percentage (80.0%) while senior
Emily Carver stands eighth in steals per game (2.50).
App State leads the Sun Belt and ranks 26th in the NCAA in bench points per game (35.5) and leads the league and ranks 35th in the NCAA in defensive field-goal percentage (32.3%). The Mountaineers stand second in the SBC in defensive rebounds per game (31.0) and assists per game (17.0). Additionally, App State ranks third in the conference in steals per game (12.5), scoring defense (59.0), and rebounds per game (45.5).
Series History vs. UNC Greensboro
The Mountaineers last met UNC Greensboro in their 2023 season and home opener on Nov. 6. 2023, defeating the Spartans 71-65, in the Holmes Convocation Center. Four Mountaineers netted double-double figures.
Rylan Moffitt, Carver, and Ingram combined for 34 of App State's 71 points. Carver also pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double. The Mountaineers held the Spartans to nine offensive rebounds and scored 22 second-chance points to UNCG's 12. App State leads the series against UNC Greensboro, 35-29.
Scouting UNC Greensboro
Makiah Asidanya is the top-scoring Spartan, averaging 13.7 points per game. Asidanya leads the SoCon in free-throw percentage, draining 9-of-9 from the line, and leads the league in 3-point percentage (66.7%). In the NCAA, Asidanya rounds out the top-10 in 3-point percentage. Jaila Lee averages 12.7 points per contest and leads the team with a field-goal percentage of 58.3%. Jayde Gamble, who averages 12.0 points per game, ranks second in the SoCon in 3-point percentage (50.0%), total 3-pointers (7), and 3-pointers per game (2.33). Khalis Cain, Gamble, and Kristina Rakotobe each average 5.3 rebounds per game. Additionally, Gamble and Tasia Johnson lead the team with 2.7 assists per game.
UNCG enters Saturday's contest at 2-1 on the season after a tight 69-62 road loss against Coastal Carolina on Wednesday. The Spartans had opened the season with a 91-31 victory over North Greenville on Nov. 4 and posted a 62-54 victory over USC-Upstate on Nov. 9.
Around the SoCon, UNCG leads the league in bench points per game (32.0), field goal percentage (39.0%), and scoring defense (51.3). The Spartans stand in the NCAA's top-40 in bench points per game and scoring defense.
On the Horizon
The Mountaineers will return to Boone for a three-game homestead to close out the month of November. App State will host Clinton College at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 20. The Mountaineers will host Richmond on Nov. 24 at 3:30 p.m. for Sunday Funday and their second doubleheader with the men's program. The Mountaineers will then honor their seniors at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 27 in their Senior Night game against Gardner-Webb. All three games will be available to stream on ESPN+.
