BOONE, N.C – Fresh off their 20th win of the season in an instant classic against Toledo as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge, the App State Mountaineers (20-5, 10-2 SBC) hit the floor for the first of two games at the Holmes Center this week, taking on Marshall (12-13, 7-5 SBC) Thursday. Marshall's visit to the Holmes Center will be the first of two meetings between the Mountaineers and the Thundering Herd in the next nine days. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Tickets still remain for Thursday's matchup with Marshall.
Last Saturday's thrilling win over Toledo in double-overtime marked win No. 20 on the year for App State, clinching the Mountaineers' first 20-win season since 2009-10 and the 13th 20-win season in program history. App State needed just 25 games to get to 20 wins, which ties the fewest number of games played to reach 20 wins in a season in the Division I era. The win on Feb. 10 also marks the earliest date on the calendar that App State has reached 20 wins in program history.
App State also picked up its 11th home win of the season against Toledo, marking the third year in a row that the Mountaineers have won at least 10 games at the Holmes Center and the seventh year in the Holmes Center era. App State is 11-0 at the Holmes Center this season, making the Mountaineers the lone remaining unbeaten team at home in the Sun Belt and one of 26 undefeated teams at home in the country.
After a one-game break, the Mountaineers return to Sun Belt play on Thursday. App State is 10-2 in conference play entering Thursday, making them one of just 26 teams in NCAA Division I with 10 conference wins. Additionally, the Mountaineers are off to their best 12-game start in conference play this century and the best start since the 1999-00 team won 11 of its first 12 SoCon games.
The Matchup
- Who: App State (RV) vs Marshall
- Where: Holmes Convocation Center // Boone, N.C.
- When: Thursday, February 15 // 6:30 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
In what could be considered the game of the year, App State defeated Toledo 109-104 in double-overtime last Saturday at the Holmes Center. It was App State's first double-overtime win since 2021. The 109 points scored by the Mountaineers are the most scored against a DI opponent in the Kerns era and the most points scored against a DI opponent since the Mountaineers dropped 111 against Georgia Southern in 2010.
App State clawed its way back from down nine points with 2:19 to play in regulation and tied the game with 20 seconds thanks to an and-1 layup from
Myles Tate, who scored App State's final five points in regulation. The lead changed hands seven times in the extra frames, but it was
Terence Harcum's two free throws and
Donovan Gregory's game-sealing layup that secured the thrilling win.
Two players tallied career highs against Toledo in
Donovan Gregory and
Jordan Marsh. Gregory recorded his second 20-point game this season, netting a career-high 24 points on 10-11 shooting, which is the second time this season that Gregory has shot at least 90 percent from the floor. Marsh stepped up in a big way against the Rockets, tallying a career-high 17 points, three steals, two blocks and a career-high 31 minutes. Overall, six players reached double-figures for the Black and Gold against Toledo, marking the second time this season that App State has had six different players in double-figures.
App State's remarkable shooting stole the show in the win as the Mountaineers shot 61 percent from the floor, including a near-perfect 19-25 first half. The Mountaineers made 10 consecutive shots at one point in the first half.
Scouting the Mountaineers
At 20-5 and 10-2 in Sun Belt play, App State enters Thursday's battle with Marshall tied for first place in the conference and has won 19 of its last 22 games. The Mountaineers are one of just 18 teams in NCAA Division I with at least 20 wins this season and are one of just 18 teams in the country to boast a winning percentage of at least 80 percent heading into Thursday's game.
App State has been dominant at home this season as they are the only remaining unbeaten team at home in the Sun Belt Conference. In those 11 games, the Mountaineers are averaging 84 points per contest, while outscoring their opponents by 20 points this season. The Mountaineers have scored at least 80 points in seven home contests this year, which accounts for more than half of their 80-point outings this year.
The Mountaineers boast the best scoring defense in the Sun Belt entering play on Thursday, allowing just 66.9 points a game. Additionally, App State sits in the top 10 nationally in both blocks (first) and opponent field-goal percentage (seventh). Opponents shoot just 39 percent against the Mountaineers. App State has held its opponent below 40 percent shooting 15 times this season and is 14-1 when they do so.
On the offensive side, App State owns a deep team that shoots the ball efficiently and shares the basketball at a high rate. The Mountaineers have seen six different players score 20 points in a game this season while 11 others have scored at least 10 points in a game. Overall, 85 percent of the active roster has scored in double-figures in a game this season.
Scouting the Thundering Herd
Marshall enters Thursday's action in Boone with a 12-13 record and a 7-5 record in Sun Belt play, making them one of six teams in the conference with seven wins. The Herd are currently ranked fifth in the league standings.
The Herd had two Preseason All-Sun Belt selections in Obinna Anochili-Killen and Camdyn Kurfman. Since the calendar flipped to conference play, Anochili-Killen scores 17.7 points a game, which is the fourth-best average in the league. Curfman is one of the best three-point shooters in the conference as he enters play against the Mountaineers with the most made threes this season in the conference (71) while shooting at the second-highest clip in the league (.323). Overall, Marshall sees two others score in double-figures in Kevon Voyles and Nate Martin.
Head coach Dan D'Antoni is in his 10th season with the Herd and has led Marshall to four 20-win seasons in his tenure, including a 24-win campaign last year. D'Antoni is a Marshall Athletics Hall of Famer who was inducted in 1990 after a solid four-year playing career. The Herd have won 185 games under D'Antoni.
Series History
Thursday's meeting in Boone will mark meeting No. 53 between App State and Marshall in a series that dates back to 1976. The Mountaineers and Thundering Herd were Southern Conference rivals for about 20 years before Marshall moved to the MAC in 1997. Since Marshall rejoined the Sun Belt in 2022, they have won both meetings with App State and hold an 18-34 lead in the all-time series.
App State and Marshall met in the Sun Belt opener last season, which saw the Herd pick up a home win. Five current Mountaineers scored in last year's meeting.
Justin Abson and
Xavion Brown scored six points while
Christopher Mantis and
CJ Huntley tallied five.
Coach Kerns is 0-3 against Marshall and Coach D'Antoni in his career.
Next Up
App State concludes its current three-game homestand on Saturday with a meeting against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Saturday. Saturday's game will be a part of a doubleheader with the women's team. The women's game is set to tip off at 2 p.m. with the men's game to follow. Both games can be streamed on ESPN+.
