Mountaineers Honor Seniors in Midweek Clash with Gardner-Webb

BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team will honor their seniors at Wednesday's midweek matchup with Gardner-Webb. The game will mark the close of the Mountaineers' three-game homestead before the Thanksgiving holiday. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
 
The Mountaineers will honor seniors Emily Carver, Georgia Gray, J'Mani Ingram, Asjah Inniss, Samantha LaFon, Mara Neira, Zada Porter, and Eleyana Tafisi. 
 
Last Time Out
Carver's 1,000 career point highlighted the Mountaineers' matchup against Richmond on Sunday. App State fell short to the Spiders, 73-61, in the Holmes Convocation Center. Carver netted a season high 18 points and combined with Neira for seven of App State's nine treys. Neira netted 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds on the afternoon. Junior Rylan Moffitt led the team with 10 rebounds and drained five-of-six from the line. Porter dished out a team high six assists. 
 
The Mountaineers held the Spiders to four treys, five second chance points, and eight offensive rebounds.
 
Around the Mountain 
Neira maintains her position as App State's top scorer, averaging 12.0 points per game. In the Sun Belt rankings, she remains second in 3-point percentage (40.5%) and 3-pointers per game (3) and rises to second in total treys (15). In the NCAA rankings, Neira rounds out the top-35 in 3-pointers per game. Carver averages 11.8 points per contest for the Mountaineers. In the rebounds category, junior Elena Pericic leads the team, averaging 4.8 rebounds per game. Ingram, Moffitt, Neira, and Porter follow, all averaging 4.6 rebounds per game. Porter leads the Mountaineers and ranks third in the SBC in assists per game with 4.2. 
 
App State continues to lead the Sun Belt in assists per game (17) and field goal percentage (44.9%). The Mountaineers stand third in the league in defensive rebounds per game (28.4) and fourth in rebounds per game (42.6) as well as 3-point percentage (32.2%). In the NCAA, App State rounds out the top-50 in bench points per game (27.8) and rebounds per game. 
 
Series History vs. Gardner-Webb
The Mountaineers and Runnin' Bulldogs last met on Dec. 15, 2023 in Boiling Springs. The Mountaineers fell short to Gardner-Webb, 82-78. Moffitt recorded a double-double after netting 13 points and grabbing a team high 11 rebounds. Carver accounted for two of the Mountaineers' four treys on the night. App State leads the series against Gardner-Webb, 7-6.
 
Scouting Gardner-Webb
Ashley Hawkins averages a team high 13.9 points per game as well as a team high 4.0 assists per contest. Hawkins leads the Big South in assists (28) as well as assists per game and ranks second in the league in points (97) as well as free throws (22). Elle Blatchford, who leads the Big South in 3-point percentage (48.7%), 3-pointers (19), and 3-pointers per game (2.71), averages 12.1 points per contest. She also ranks 18th in the NCAA for total treys. Gardner-Webb's top rebounder is Elze Motekaityte. Notekaityte grabs an average of 5.6 rebounds per game. 

Gardner-Webb is 2-5 (0-0 Big South) on the season thus far and enters Wednesday's contest off an 88-67 victory over Johnson C. Smith. The Runnin' Bulldogs' victory over Johnson C. Smith snapped a string of losses from Nov. 8 to Nov. 21 as Gardner-Webb faced Elon, ETSU, Richmond, James Madison, and Charlotte. Gardner-Webb opened the season with a 67-63 win over West Georgia. 
 
Gardner-Webb leads the Big South in 3-pointers per game (7.3), stands second in offensive rebounds per game (12.9), and ranks third in free throw percentage (75.2%). 
 
On the Horizon 
The Mountaineers will hit the road for four games in December before returning to Boone to open Sun Belt play on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. against Arkansas State. The Black and Gold's road stretch features a clash against SEC contender Vanderbilt (Dec 1) along with stops at Wofford (Dec. 7), College of Charleston (Dec. 17), and Mercer (Dec. 21).