BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team looks to extend its Sun Belt unbeaten streak to four as it hosts Troy at noon on Thursday. The Mountaineers sit atop the Sun Belt rankings with James Madison and Old Dominion as of Wednesday afternoon. Both JMU and ODU also opened conference play with 3-0 runs.
Admission is free for all fans for Thursday's Education Day game and there will be a halftime performance by Tyler's Amazing Balancing Act. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
App State recorded its first program win against Southern Miss, 76-56, in Hattiesburg, Miss. on Jan. 4. The Mountaineers marked their first 3-0 start in Sun Belt play as well as first 3-0 start in conference games since the 2011-12 campaign. Since Dec. 21, the Black and Gold have won its last four matchups.
Against Southern Miss, junior
Elena Pericic and senior
J'Mani Ingram led the Mountaineers, as both netted 17 points. Pericic drained 5-of-6 from the arc, accounting for all but two of App State's treys on the afternoon. She also grabbed six rebounds. Ingram made 7-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the line in addition to grabbing seven rebounds. Junior
Rylan Moffitt and senior
Emily Carver combined for 22 points. The Black and Gold's top rebounder for a second consecutive game and fourth game this season was senior
Zada Porter, who pulled down eight. Senior
Eleyana Tafisi led the team in the assists category with nine.
The Mountaineers netted 38 points off the bench and held Southern Miss to nine bench points. App State also held the Lady Eagles to eight offensive rebounds and four fastbreak points.
Around the Mountain
The Mountaineers' top scorers are Carver (10.5 points per game), senior
Mara Neira (9.2 points per game), and Porter (9.0 points per game). Neira leads App State in the steals category (1.9 per game) while Porter leads the team in the assists category (3.3). Pericic leads the team in the rebounds category, averaging 4.8 per contest, followed by Moffitt, who averages 4.5 per game.
In conference play, Moffitt leads the league in field goal percentage (65.2%), followed by Pericic (62.5%). Pericic leads the league in 3-point percentage (69.2%) and stands third in 3-pointers per game (3.0). Tafisi ranks second in assists (7.0) and Neira stands fourth in steals (3.0). Through the team's first three Sun Belt games, App State leads the league in scoring offense (78.3), team field-goal percentage (49.7%), and assists per game (17.33). The Mountaineers also rank third in team 3-point percentage (37.1%) and steals (9.0).
For the season, Neira ranks third in the Sun Belt in 3-pointers per game (2.23) as well as fourth in 3-point percentage (37.7%) and total 3-pointers (29). Porter ranks seventh in assists per game (3.3). App State leads the Sun Belt and ranks 13th in the NCAA in bench points per game (31.0). The Mountaineers also lead the league in assists per game (15.8) and team field-goal percentage (44.4%). The Black and Gold rank second in the conference in team 3-point percentage (33.6%) as well as third in scoring offense (69.5) and fourth in defensive rebounds per game (27.0).
Series History vs. Troy
App State last met Troy in Troy, Ala. on Feb. 28, 2024, in its penultimate road game of the 2023-24 campaign. The Mountaineers fell short, 102-69, to the Trojans.
Alexis Black and Carver led the team, combining for 31 points and six of App State's eight treys. Additionally, Carver grabbed a team high nine rebounds while Porter dished out a team high four assists. In the series between the Mountaineers and Trojans, Troy leads 17-2.
Scouting Troy
Troy is 8-7 on the season and 2-1 in Sun Belt action. The Trojans enter Thursday's contest fresh off two home victories over Coastal Carolina (Jan. 2) and Marshall (Jan. 4). Troy fell short to James Madison, 63-52, in its conference opener in Harrisonburg, Va on Dec. 29. Troy opened the 2024-25 campaign with a trio of losses to Buffalo (Nov. 4), Montana State (Nov. 7), and No. 24/25 Alabama (Nov. 10), before snapping the streak with a 76-66 victory over Chattanooga (Nov. 14). The Trojans challenged No. 7 LSU, but fell short, 98-59, in Baton Rouge (Nov. 18). The Trojans' non-conference slate also featured appearances at the Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 22-23) and 2024 Cherokee Tournament (Dec. 18-19).
Zay Dyer and Ashley Baez are the Trojans' top scorers, averaging 13.0 and 11.3 points per contest. Dyer also leads the team in rebounds (10.1 per game) and Baez leads the team in steals (1.6 per game). In the assists category, Shaulana Wagner averages a team-high 6.2 assists per game.
In conference-only play, Wagner leads the league in assists (7.3) while Brianna Jackson leads the SBC in rebounds (12.7), followed by Dyer (12.0). Dyer also stands second in blocked shots (2.0). Troy leads the league in combined team rebounds (52.3) and team defensive rebounds (37.7). The Trojans also rank second in scoring offense (74.7), blocked shots (5) and assists (17.33). For the season, Dyer leads the Sun Belt and ranks among the NCAA's top-25 in double-doubles (8), rebounds (152) and rebounds per game. Wagner leads the league and rounds out the NCAA's top-five in triple-doubles. Additionally, Wagner leads the league and ranks in the NCAA's top-10 in assists (93) and assists per game (6.2). Troy leads the league in blocks per game (1.3), defensive rebounds per game (32.8), offensive rebounds per game (17.1), and rebounds per game (49.93).
On the Horizon
App State is set to host Coastal Carolina at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday as part of a doubleheader with the men's basketball program. Fans are encouraged to come early for the men's game at 1 p.m. against James Madison, and stay late for the women's game that follows, as one ticket will get fans into both conference clashes. Saturday's doubleheader will also be the Mountaineers' Stripe Out day, in which fans are encouraged to wear either black or gold depending on the section their seats are in. The women's game will also feature a halftime performance by the Zooperstars.
