BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team is headed to Statesboro, Ga. to clash with Georgia Southern on Saturday for its last road trip for the month of December. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. and the game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
In their Sun Belt opener on Wednesday, the Mountaineers (6-4 (0-1 SBC)) fell short to Marshall, 75-62, despite fighting through 12 ties and nine lead changes. Netting double-figures for a fifth time this season, senior
Emma Smith led the Black and Gold with a season-high 19 points. Smith combined with junior
Daisia Mitchell and sophomore
Jayden McBride, who also scored double-figures against the Herd, for 42 of App State's 62 points. The trio also accounted for six of the Mountaineers' seven 3-point buckets. Freshman
Addie Biel was the Mountaineers' top rebounder, pulling down eight rebounds.
App State shot 81% from the charity stripe and 41% from beyond the arc in Huntington. Additionally, the Mountaineers held the Herd to five offensive rebounds as well as seven points off the bench.
Rankings Report
Smith and Mitchell are the Mountaineers' top scorers, averaging 10.8 and 10.6 points per contest, respectively. Mitchell has netted double-figures in seven games so far this winter, including a career-high 21 points in App State's Education Day victory over Norfolk State on Nov. 25. Smith, who leads the team in assists (4.4 apg) and rebounds (5.3 rpg), rose to second in the league in assists per game and remains third in the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.20). She also ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in total assists (44) and steals per game (2.40).
App State ranks among the SBC's top five and nation's top 35 in rebound margin (9.6) and 3-point percentage (36.4%). The Mountaineers also stand second in the league and 55th in the NCAA in field goal percentage (45.4%) as well as second in the SBC in scoring defense (56.8).
Series History vs. Georgia Southern
App State and Georgia Southern last met on Feb. 26, 2025 in the penultimate game of the 2024-25 regular season. The Mountaineers fell short, 57-55, in a heartbreaker on the road.
Zada Porter and
Emily Hege combined for 33 of App State's points, with Hege accounting for two of App State's three treys. In addition to her team-high 22 points, Porter grabbed a team-high six rebounds. The Mountaineers held the Eagles to two treys as well as nine points in the second period.
Earlier in the 2024-25 campaign, the Mountaineers defeated the Eagles 60-56 in Boone. On Jan. 25, four Mountaineers scored double-figures, led by Hege, who netted 14 points. Porter netted 12 points and led the team with eight rebounds. The Black and Gold held the Eagles to four treys and three fast-break points.
Scouting Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern is 8-3 on the season and opened conference play with a 68-47 victory over Georgia State on Thursday. The Eagles have won their last seven games, spanning back to Nov. 22, picking up wins over Mercer, Charleston Southern, Wofford, North Florida, Furman, and Coastal Georgia. Georgia Southern's only losses come at the hands of Florida State, No. 5 LSU, and Missouri State.
Through 11 games, fifth year senior guard McKenna Eddings and graduate student guards Destiny Garrett and Shanti Simmons are Georgia Southern's top scorers, averaging 14.0, 13.7, and 13.0 points per contest, respectively. Garrett stands second in the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.35) and third in assists (47) and assists per game (4.3), as well as fourth in free throws (38). Simmons ranks in the NCAA's top 35 in steals (33) and steals per game (3.00), ranking among the Sun Belt's top three in both categories. She also stands third in the league in free throw percentage (83.3%). Simmons is also the Eagles' top rebounder, averaging 7.0 boards per game.
Georgia Southern ranks 39th nationally and leads the Sun Belt in field goal percentage with a mark of 46.0%. The Eagles also lead the league in assist/turnover ratio (1.06) and stand second in made free throws per game (14.27).
On the Horizon
App State will host Carolina University at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 29. JMKC members are invited to bring one friend, age 12 or under, for free for Monday's game against the Bruins. JMKC members can show their JMKC credential at the Southwest entrance, or email proof of membership to the App State ticket office for free admission. Tickets are available and the game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
