BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team will open Sun Belt play on Wednesday with an 11 a.m. clash against Marshall in Huntington, W. Va. The game, which will be available to stream on ESPN+, will be the third Education Day game the Mountaineers have appeared in this season.
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers last stepped on the court on Dec. 7 in Clemson, S.C., and despite holding the line through the first half to match Clemson 30-30 at the break, App State fell short, 78-59, to the Tigers. Senior
Emma Smith, sophomore
Jayden McBride, junior
Daisia Mitchell and senior
Emily Hege combined for 48 of App State's points, with Smith and McBride each contributing a team-high 13 points. Hege and McBride knocked down four of the Mountaineers' five 3-pointers. Smith matched with freshman
Addie Biel in rebounds, both grabbing five. The Black and Gold held Clemson to just two offensive rebounds.
Rankings Report
Entering conference play, Smith ranks third in the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.17) and assists per game (4.3). She also stands fourth in steals per game (2.56) and fifth in total assists (39). Smith is App State's top rebounder, averaging 5.6 boards per game. Mitchell maintains her spot as App State's top scorer, averaging 10.4 points per contest, followed closely by Smith (9.9 ppg) and McBride (9.7 ppg).
App State remains the league's leader and ranks 40th nationally in field goal percentage (46.3%). The Mountaineers stand second in the Sun Belt and 26th in the NCAA in rebound margin (10.2). Additionally, App State ranks among the conference's top five in scoring defense, scoring margin, 3-point percentage, assist/turnover ratio, assists per game and defensive rebounds per game. Heading into Wednesday's game, App State stands eighth in the Sun Belt's team standings.
Series History vs. Marshall
Wednesday's clash marks the 53rd meeting between the Mountaineers and Thundering Herd. The series, which dates back to the 1980-81 season, is balanced at 26-26. The Mountaineers last met Marshall on March 7, 2025, in the fourth round of the Sun Belt Tournament in Pensacola, Fla. No. 6-seeded App State fell short to No. 11-seeded Marshall, 75-66.
Emily Carver and
Mara Neira both netted 23 points and combined for 11 of App State's 13 3-point buckets.
Elena Pericic grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while
Eleyana Tafisi dished out a team-best seven assists.
During the 2024-25 regular season, App State and Marshall split their encounters, with App State coming out victorious, 68-64, on Jan. 18 in Huntington, but falling short, 76-58, on Feb. 19 in Boone.
Scouting Marshall
Marshall enters Wednesday's contest at 9-3 on the season and ranks second in the Sun Belt standings behind Troy who boasts a 9-1 overall record. After suffering a 10-point setback to Morehead State to close out November, the Thundering Herd bounced back to defeat Coppin State, Kent State, Davis & Elkins and Eastern Kentucky for an undefeated December as of Tuesday.
Senior guard Timaya Lewis-Eutsey and freshman guard Olivia Olson are the Thundering Herd's top scorers, averaging 14.9 and 10.8 points per game, respectively. Lewis-Eutsey leads the league in free throws (44) and free-throw percentage (83.0%). She also ranks fifth nationally and leads the SBC in steals (43). Additionally, she leads the SBC and ranks 16th nationally in steals per game (3.58). Lewis-Eutsey rounds out the league's top five in field-goal percentage (51.2%) and field goals (65). Marshall's top rebounder is senior guard Blessing King, who averages 7.3 boards per game. Senior guard Peyton Ilderton dishes out an average of 2.9 assists per contest, followed by Lewis-Eutsey, who averages 2.6.
Marshall leads the league and ranks 26th nationally in scoring defense (53.4). The Thundering Herd also ranks second in the Sun Belt and among the NCAA's top 25 in steals per game (14.3), forced turnovers per game (23.08) and blocks per game (5.3). Additionally, Marshall leads the conference in free-throw percentage (77.9%).
On the Horizon
The Mountaineers will close their December road stretch on Dec. 20, as they travel to Statesboro, Ga., to take on Georgia Southern. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
