BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team is set to host Georgia Southern at 2 p.m. for Black Saturday. Fans are encouraged to wear black for the game and can
purchase tickets in advance for $5. Free parking will be available in the Holmes Parking Deck.
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers posted a 74-66 victory over Old Dominion to open their four-game homestand on Thursday. Four Mountaineers netted double-figures on Luau Night, led by junior
Rylan Moffitt, who netted 15 points for a third time in four games. Following Moffitt was fellow junior
Elena Pericic, who netted 13 points. Senior
Zada Porter scored 12 points and drained a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter to help seal the Black and Gold's victory. She also dished out five assists and combined with Moffitt for four of App State's five blocks. Leading the team in the assists category was senior
Eleyana Tafisi, who dished out seven in addition to her 10 points on the night. Meanwhile, junior
Emily Hege grabbed a team-high six rebounds. App State netted 27 bench points to ODU's five. The Black and Gold also held Old Dominion to five assists and one block. With the win over Old Dominion, App State rises to fourth in the Sun Belt standings.
Around the Mountain
Porter and Carver continue to lead the Mountaineers, averaging 10.7 and 10.1 points per game, respectively. Porter also leads the team in the assists category, dishing out an average of 3.4 per contest. Pericic leads the team in the rebounds category, averaging 4.7 per game, followed by Moffitt, who averages 4.4 per contest. Moffitt leads the team in the blocks category, with 16 on the season. In the steals category, senior
Mara Neira leads the team, averaging 1.7 per contest.
In conference-only action, App State leads the league in the assists category, averaging 18.38 per Sun Belt clash. The Mountaineers also stand third in field goal percentage (43.8%) and 3-point percentage (35.6%) as well as fourth in scoring offense (72.4) and defensive rebounds (27.5). The Black and Gold rounds out the top-five in made 3-pointers, averaging 8.0 per conference clash. Individually, Tafisi continues to lead the league in assists, dishing out an average of 6.0 per conference game. Moffitt ranks sixth in blocked shots (1.4).
App State leads the Sun Belt and rounds out the NCAA's top-40 in assists per game, averaging 16.7. The Mountaineers also lead the league in field goal percentage (43.3%). App State stands second in the SBC and 14th in the NCAA in bench points per game (28.7). The Mountaineers also stand second in the league in three point percentage (33.9%). Individually, Neira remains fourth in the league in 3-point percentage (35.6%) and rises to fifth in the league in 3-pointers per game (2.0). Porter remains sixth in the Sun Belt in assists per game (3.4).
Series History vs. Georgia Southern
App State and Georgia Southern last met on Jan. 20, 2024 in Boone. The Mountaineers defeated the Eagles, 82-74, and saw
Faith Alston become the 28th Mountaineer to reach 1,000 collegiate career points. Alston netted a team-high 24 points, followed by
J'Mani Ingram who netted 23 points. Moffitt grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. In the series between App State and Georgia Southern, the Eagles lead 42-29.
Scouting Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern is 9-11 on the season and 2-6 in conference play. The Eagles have dropped their last two games, falling to Georgia State, 88-83, in triple overtime on Jan. 18 and falling to Marshall, 67-60, on Jan. 22. Georgia Southern picked up conference victories over Georgia State (Jan. 8) and Texas State (Jan. 15). The Eagles opened the season with four consecutive victories from Nov. 4 to Nov. 16, defeating Ohio, North Florida, Bethune-Cookman, and Longwood. Georgia Southern went 1-1 in the Rutgers Battle on the Banks (No. 29-30) and 1-2 in the GCU Women's Basketball Have Fayth Christmas Classic (Dec. 18-21).
Nicole Gwynn and Indya Green are Georgia Southern's top scorers, averaging 12.3 and 11.9 points per game, respectively. Green leads the Eagles in the rebounds category, averaging 7.6 per contest. In the assists category, McKenna Eddings leads the team, averaging 2.7 per game.
Georgia Southern ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in 3-point percentage (34.1%) and offensive rebounds (13.8) in conference-only play. The Eagles also round out the league's top-five in assists, averaging 14.38 per conference game. Individually, Gwynn ranks fourth in the league in free throw percentage (91.3%) and Leah Johnson ranks fourth in blocked shots (1.4). Green rounds out the league's top-five in scoring (15.4) and field goal percentage (46.7%).
In the Sun Belt rankings for the season, Johnson ranks second in blocks (27) and third in blocks per game (1.42). Green ranks third in the conference in field goal percentage (45.7%) and rebounds (151). She also rounds out the leagues' top-five in rebounds per game (7.6). Gwynn stands third in the SBC in free throws (63). Georgia Southern ranks third in the conference and 30th in the NCAA in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 14.7. The Eagles also rank fourth in the league in steals per game (9.3) and fifth in turnovers forced per game (18.10) as well as rebounds per game (49.55).
On the Horizon
The Mountaineers remain in Boone as they host Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 for Youth Day. The Black and Gold will celebrate its Junior Mountaineer Kids Club (JMKC) members and student season ticket holders. There will be free admission for all kids eighth grade and younger. There will also be an autograph session with the team following the game.
App State will then host Georgia State for both the men's 1 p.m. Coaches vs. Cancer game and women's 3:30 p.m. Pink Day game on Feb. 1. Fans are encouraged to wear pink, show up early for the men's game and stay late for the women's game. One ticket will get fans into both games. The Chuck-A-Duck contest will return at halftime of the women's game.
