BOONE, N.C. – Following a late basket to tie the score at 63 with nine seconds to play, the App State men's basketball team needed a heroic shot to win in regulation. Taking the inbounds pass across halfcourt,
Kasen Jennings got into the paint and pump-faked two Charlotte players into the air before calmly nailing the game-winning basket with two seconds to play. The 49ers got a shot off at the horn, but it didn't fall, which clinched a thrilling 65-63 Mountaineer victory in their return to the Holmes Center on Friday.
Charlotte (2-3) carried a seven-point lead into the locker room and led by as many as nine points in the game. But the Mountaineers (4-2) made the correct defensive adjustments in the second half and outscored the 49ers by nine points in the final half. The 49ers made seven first-half 3-pointers, but ended the game by shooting just 1-8 from the long line.
App State saw major contributions from its bench on Friday as it outscored Charlotte's bench by 16 (27-11).
Michael Marcus Jr.,
Andrin Njock and
Jalen Tot each accounted for seven or more points, with both Tot and Marcus Jr. hitting big second-half shots. Additionally,
Jason Clarke Jr. changed the game with his defense late, drawing a crucial offensive foul with 36 seconds left in regulation to steal a possession for the Mountaineers.
The 3-point shot proved vital in the Mountaineers' offensive attack against the 49ers, as they sank a season-best 40 percent (8-20) of their shots from deep. Tot,
Alonzo Dodd and Marcus Jr. each accounted for two triples in the game, with Tot nailing three.
How it Happened
The 49ers won the opening tip and got hot almost immediately as they buried two straight threes to open up a six-point advantage just 96 seconds into the game. Dodd got the Mountaineers on the board with a three, but Charlotte scored each of the next five points to take an eight-point lead into the first media timeout.
Out of the timeout, App State began to mount a run, as Jennings and
Luke Wilson helped make it a two-point game with baskets. A driving layup by Dodd made the score 11-13 a few possessions later, but the 49ers made another three, their fourth of the game through the first eight minutes, and held a five-point advantage with 12 minutes to play in the first half.
After a technical foul on Charlotte heading into the break, Jennings and
Eren Banks cut the Charlotte lead down to two before Tot's first 3-pointer made it a one-point game near the halfway point of the opening frame. The Mountaineers took their first lead of the game at 19-18 thanks to a floater from Dodd, but Charlotte answered with six of the next eight points to grab a four-point lead by the under-eight break.
Another three by Tot found the bottom of the net to make it a one-point game yet again, but App State went cold after it, which allowed the 49ers to take advantage. Charlotte went on a 10-2 run to take a nine-point lead, its largest of the game, with two minutes to play. App State scored the final three points of the first half, but the 49ers maintained a 37-30 edge heading into halftime.
Jennings and Dodd spearheaded App State's offense in the first half, combining for 15 of App State's 30 points. Tot finished the first 20 minutes with six points, but the story of the game to that point was Charlotte's 3-point shooting, as it nailed seven first-half threes on 17 attempts.
An Anton Bonke layup helped propel the 49ers back in front by nine as play entered the second half. But the Mountaineers answered with four straight to cut into the gap. After Charlotte went back up by eight at the 17:24 mark, the Mountaineers saw a three from Dodd and a free throw by Jennings make it a four-point game at the under-16 timeout.
With the lead back at five after a 49er layup, Marcus Jr. drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make the score 45-43 before Banks tied the score at 45 with a floater in the paint. Charlotte went back on top with a pair of free throws, but Banks and Tot helped push the Mountaineers ahead by three heading into a media timeout, which sprang the large home crowd to its feet.
Bonke made another layup out of the timeout to cut the lead to one, but it was short-lived as Marcus Jr. sparked a highlight-reel sequence of events by grabbing an offensive rebound off a miss and hitting a three through contact for a four-point play. This warranted a necessary yell from the big man and gave the App State faithful a spark.
Njock responded to a pair of Ben Bradford free throws with his first 3-pointer of the game with 8:27 to go in the game, but the 49ers closed the gap back to one as play hit the under-eight timeout.
Charlotte tied the score at 57 out of the timeout thanks to a layup, but an Njock dunk off a slick find by Jennings pushed App State back ahead by two with 6:13 to go. After almost a two-minute scoring drought, Njock buried two crucial free throws to push App State ahead 61-57 with 4:31 to play in regulation.
A Bradford dunk made the score 61-59 out of an App State timeout, but Banks showcased his skill by hitting a tough shot while falling away from his defender to make it a four-point game. Charlotte quickly answered with a layup and called a timeout. Neither team scored for almost a minute, but it was the 49ers who broke the stalemate, tying the score at 63 with nine seconds to go.
App State inbounded the ball to Jennings, who battled through his defender into the front court. Letting his veteran guard play, Kerns didn't call a timeout and watched Jennings make his way past his defender into the lane. With two seconds on the clock, Jennings pump-faked two defenders into the air and turned around to nail a short jumper to put App State ahead 65-63.
Charlotte called a timeout to draw up a play, but needed to go the length of the floor to make a game-tying shot to try and force overtime. The 49ers got a look off, but Dezayne Mingo's 3-point heave hit the left iron as the buzzer sounded. This back-and-forth, thrilling in-state rivalry belonged to the Mountaineers.
Top Performers
Along with his game-winning shot, Jennings paced App State on offense with 15 points, his sixth straight game scoring in double figures to open the season. Although Jennings attempted just eight shots, his ability to draw fouls helped lead to a season-best 11 free throws. Dodd joined Jennings in double figures with 10 points, and also recorded two assists and four rebounds. Njock and Tot finished with nine apiece, with both accounting for several clutch shots and crowd-raising plays in the game. Marcus Jr. provided a highlight-reel seven points, while also grabbing a team-best five rebounds.
Up Next
App State will cap off its two-game homestand with a matchup with the Elon Phoenix on Monday. It will be the first time the two teams will square off in 12 years. Tip off from Boone is slated for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
