ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Looking to break a two-game losing streak, the App State men's basketball team (4-4) heads 84 miles down the mountain to take on the UNC Asheville Bulldogs (2-4) in a neutral-site battle on Sunday. App State and UNC Asheville will meet at a neutral site for the second consecutive season (the two teams met in Hickory for the first Hickory Hoops Classic back in 2023). Tip off from the Harrah's Cherokee Center is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
With App State's win over Charlotte on Nov. 21 at the Holmes Center, head coach
Dustin Kerns sits one win away from 150 for his career. Entering Sunday, Kerns owns a 149-120 career record, with 118 of those victories coming at App State over the last seven years. Last year, Kerns surpassed 100 career victories at App State and became the third-fastest App State head coach to reach 100 career wins when he did so. Entering Sunday, Kerns owns the fifth-most wins in program history.
Sunday's contest will mark the fifth different in-state opponent the Mountaineers will square off with in nonconference play. Three of App State's next four games will come against North Carolina teams in UNC Asheville, ECU (Dec. 11) and High Point (Dec. 14). The Mountaineers enter Sunday's game with a 3-1 record against in-state foes this season.
App State's contest at the Harrah's Cherokee Center will be its first of two neutral-site contests this season. In the Kerns era, the Mountaineers are 13-11 in neutral-site games. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, App State is 6-4 on neutral floors.
The Matchup
- Who: App State vs. UNC Asheville
- Where: Harrah's Cherokee Center // Asheville, N.C.
- When: Sunday, Nov. 30 // 1:30 p.m.
Tune In
- Watch: Watch (ESPN+) | JD Powell (PxP), Pete Yanity (Color)
- Listen: FLAGSHIP 97.3 (North Wilkesboro), 950 AM/92.7 FM (Greensboro), 790 AM/93.7 FM (Johnson City) | Matt Present (PxP)
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com
Last Time Out
After taking a 13-point lead with just under three minutes left to play in the first half, the App State men's basketball team had all the momentum as the game neared the halftime break. But the Mercer Bears found a spark despite seeing their largest deficit of the game and scored the final 10 points of the half to make it a three-point game at the half. This run carried into the second half, which saw Mercer outscore the Mountaineers by 11 points, helping it take a late lead and close out a 75-67 win on its home floor on Wednesday.
App State struggled to find its 3-point shot on Wednesday, as it shot 4-21 (19 percent) from deep against the Bears. App State's four made threes marked the fewest it has made in a game since making just two against Arkansas State last January. Mercer responded by nailing 11 3-pointers on 28 attempts.
The Mountaineers were physical in the paint against the Bears, scoring 44 points in the lane compared to Mercer's 22. App State made it a point of emphasis to get into the lane against Mercer after scoring just 16 paint points on Monday against Elon. Additionally, the Mountaineers tallied 13 offensive rebounds, their most since grabbing a season-best 18 against Carolina University on Nov. 5.
Scouting the Mountaineers
App State enters play on Sunday with a 4-4 record and has won four of its last seven games. App State's offense has shined in its wins this season as it is scoring 79.5 points per game, compared to just 57.7 points a game in its losses. The Mountaineers have tallied 75 or more points in three of their four wins this season.
When the Mountaineers hit the road, they use their defense to win games. App State allowed just 62.6 points in its 17 games away from home last year. This number included four instances in which the Mountaineers gave up 50 or fewer points.
App State enters Sunday on an eight-game streak with at least 10 assists. This streak marks the longest to open a season in the Kerns era and the longest to open a season in the Sun Belt era. The Mountaineers have tallied 15 or more assists in two of those games (Carolina Univ. and N.C. Central). Entering Sunday, the Mountaineers see four players who sit in the top 25 in the Sun Belt in total assists (
Alonzo Dodd - 26,
Kasen Jennings - 20,
Jason Clarke Jr. - 19 and
Eren Banks - 18).
In addition to the assist numbers, the Mountaineers have taken care of the basketball at one of the best rates in both the Sun Belt and the nation entering Sunday. The Mountaineers carry a 9.4 turnovers per game average entering Sunday's game vs. UNC Asheville and a 1.33 assist/turnover ratio. Both these marks rank second in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers have turned the ball over 10 or fewer times in seven of their first eight games entering Sunday.
Scouting the Bulldogs
UNC Asheville owns a 2-4 record for the season and enters play on Sunday coming off back-to-back losses to Western Carolina and Tennessee Tech. The Bulldogs have been competitive in every game this season, however, as their four losses have come by a combined 29 points.
The 3-point shot has been key for the Bulldogs on offense, as entering Sunday, they own the best 3-point field-goal percentage in the Big South Conference at 38 percent. UNC Asheville doesn't shoot a lot of threes (18 attempts per game - ranked 338th in the country), but when it does, they make them count, as 39.5 percent of its total points scored this season have come from the arc.
Head coach Mike Morrell, who is in his eighth season at the helm of the Bulldogs, has seen his teams be successful in recent years. UNC Asheville has racked up three consecutive 20-win seasons and enters play on Sunday with a 72-35 record since the 2022-23 season.
Series History
Originally scheduled for last year but postponed due to Hurricane Helene, App State and UNC Asheville will square off for the 24th time on Sunday. The two teams last met down in Hickory in 2023 for the Hickory Hoops Classic.
Although App State owns the edge in the series at 14-9, UNC Asheville has posted wins in each of the last three meetings between the two teams, which includes a 76-63 win at the Hickory Hoops Classic.
Sunday's game will mark Kerns' seventh game against the Bulldogs.
Next Up
Following action in Asheville, the Mountaineers will head back home to the Holmes Center to host the Virginia-Lynchburg Dragons on Wednesday. It will be App State's final home game in the early portion of its nonconference schedule. Tip off is slated for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
