BOONE, N.C. - Looking to extend its three-game winning streak, the App State men's basketball team (7-5, 0-0 SBC) is set to open its conference schedule by welcoming the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-5, 0-0 SBC) to the Holmes Center on Thursday. This will mark App State's earliest conference home opener since opening the 2009-10 Southern Conference home schedule against Furman on Dec. 3. Tip off is slated for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
App State enters its 2025-26 conference slate with back-to-back seasons with at least 10 wins in Sun Belt play, marking the first time since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons that the Mountaineers have posted back-to-back double-digit win campaigns in league play. The last time App State won at least 10 league games in three straight seasons was from 1997-2000.
The Mountaineers are set to play their first two games of Sun Belt play in the friendly confines of the Holmes Center, marking the first time that has happened since the 2021-22 season (played Louisiana and ULM at home to open that season's conference schedule). Entering Thursday, App State has posted a 15-3 (83 percent winning percentage) record in the Holmes Center over its last 18 conference home games. The Mountaineers have won two of their last three conference home openers.
The Holmes Center has become one of the most daunting home venues in the Sun Belt Conference since the 2023-24 season, as App State is 29-5 over the last three seasons at home. This season, App State is 4-1 on its home floor, with three of its four wins coming by double digits. Since 2023-24, the Mountaineers have won 20 games by at least 10 points at the Holmes Center.
The Matchup
- Who: App State vs. Coastal Carolina
- Where: Holmes Convocation Center // Boone, N.C.
- When: Thursday, Dec. 18 // 6:30 p.m.
Tune In
- Watch: Watch (ESPN+) | David Jackson (PxP), John Reisterer (Color), Bob Dillner (Sideline)
- 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
Down by eight points with just 2:36 left to play, the App State men's basketball team searched for an answer to a strong run by the High Point Panthers. The Mountaineers found that thanks to good free-throw shooting, clutch shots and a game-tying layup by
Kasen Jennings with one second to play. App State went on to outscore High Point by eight in the extra period to post an 86-78 win in the second installment of the Hickory Hoops Classic. App State's overtime win over the Panthers marked their sixth straight win in games decided in extra time.
The Mountaineers shot the lights out from 3-point land, burying a season-best 13 3-pointers at a 48 percent clip. App State, which entered the game having shot 40 percent or better from three just once this year (Charlotte on Nov. 21), got five 3-pointers from
Alonzo Dodd and four from
Eren Banks in the contest.
Four different Mountaineers eclipsed double figures, highlighted by Dodd's career game as the senior poured in a game-high 25 points. Dodd also recorded seven rebounds and tallied seven assists, which both matched his season high. Jennings also eclipsed 20 points, his second straight 20-point game and fifth of the season, while also hitting a pair of clutch shots late in the second half and overtime.
Luke Wilson posted his third straight double-double with 19 points – his career high – and 10 rebounds. The big man was also stout defensively, swatting four shots, his second straight contest with four blocks.
Scouting the Mountaineers
App State enters play on Thursday with a 7-5 record and is on a season-long three-game winning streak. The Mountaineers' win over High Point in Hickory last Sunday marked their seventh win of the season, giving them at least seven wins entering conference play for the third time in the last four seasons. App State will look to extend its winning streak to four games on Thursday, which would be the seventh time since 2023-24 that App State would own a winning streak of at least four games.
The Mountaineers continue to be one of the best defensive teams in the Sun Belt Conference entering Thursday as they stand second in the league in scoring defense, allowing 67 points a game. This mark is just 0.1 points behind Texas State for the league lead. App State has paced the conference in scoring defense each of the past four seasons, while also ranking in the top 50 in that category nationally since 2020-21. When the Mountaineers have won this season, they use their defense to do so, as they allow 59.6 points a game in wins compared to 77.4 points in losses.
Offensive rebounding has become a strong point for App State this season, as it enters Thursday's game against Coastal Carolina ranked second in the Sun Belt in offensive rebounding (13 per game). The Mountaineers haven't finished higher than sixth place in the Sun Belt in offensive rebounding in the Kerns era. Entering Thursday, App State sees two players (
Andrin Njock and Wilson) in the top 10 in the league in offensive rebounding. The last time App State saw any player finish a season in the top 10 in offensive rebounding was Tre'Von Spillers in the 2023-24 season.
Three players enter Thursday's game vs. Coastal averaging at least 10 points in Jennings, Dodd and Wilson. The trio each scored at least 19 points in the win over High Point last Sunday, which marked the second time this season that three Mountaineers eclipsed 19 points in the same game (Njock,
Michael Marcus Jr. and
Jacari Brim vs. Virginia-Lynchburg). All three enter Thursday's game with back-to-back double-digit point games, while also leading the team in double-digit point games this season (Jennings - 10, Dodd - 7 and Wilson - 6).
Scouting the Chanticleers
Coastal Carolina is 6-5 on the season and enters play in Boone coming off a loss at Grand Canyon last Saturday. The Chanticleers are set to play their fourth consecutive game away from home when the game tips off on Thursday. They are 2-5 away from home this season.
Similar to App State, Coastal Carolina is stout defensively. It enters play on Thursday as the Sun Belt's leader in both field-goal percentage defense (36.7 percent) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (28.7 percent). The Chanticleers have let just four of their 11 opponents shoot better than 40 percent.
The Chanticleers are led on offense by a trio of double-digit scorers in Joshua Beadle, AJ Dancler and Rasheed Jones. All three stand in the top 25 in scoring in the Sun Belt Conference. Jones, who was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt second team, tallied a 23-point contest against Winthrop on Dec. 6, while both Beadle and Dancler have eclipsed double figures in each of the last three games.
Series History
App State and Coastal Carolina will meet for the 19th time on Thursday, and the 10th time at the Holmes Center. This will also mark the first of two meetings between the Mountaineers and Chanticleers this season, with the other matchup coming in Conway on Jan. 10.
The Mountaineers have swept each of the last two season series against the Chanticleers, and enter Thursday having won nine of the last 10 meetings in the series.
App State has claimed a victory in each of the last five meetings with Coastal Carolina in Boone.
Next Up
App State will stay at home to conclude its 2025 home schedule by playing host to the Georgia State Panthers at the Holmes Center on Saturday. Tip off is slated for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
