STATESBORO, Ga. – The App State women's basketball team (6-5, 0-2 SBC) closed out its four-game December road-stretch on Saturday, falling short, 67-54, to Georgia Southern (9-3, 2-0 SBC) in Statesboro, Ga.
"This was a tough week for our team against two quality opponents," said head coach
Alaura Sharp. "We had some good moments in both games and need to stick to the process of getting better. We have had a long stretch in the road and we are looking forward to getting back home to play after the break."
Sophomore
Jayden McBride led the Mountaineers with 16 points, matching her season-high and recording her fifth game as the Mountaineer's top scorer. She was two points shy of her career-high of 18, which she set during the 2024-25 campaign. McBride also matched her career-high of four 3-point buckets, accounting for half of App State's eight treys on Saturday. Junior
Daisia Mitchell also netted double-figures with 12 points and drilled a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. With seven rebounds,
Emma Smith recorded her fifth game as the team's top rebounder. Fellow senior
Emily Hege dished out three assists and combined with Smith for five of App State's eight assists on the afternoon. The Mountaineers netted 15 points off the bench compared to Georgia Southern's seven.
Mitchell put the Mountaineers on the board with a 3-pointer within the first 0:30 of play. The Eagles were quick to answer with a trey of their own for the only tie of the game. As Georgia Southern took a 9-5 lead, sophomore
Feryal Defne Atli got around the defense for a layup, assisted by graduate student
Jada Burton. McBride also made a trip to the hoop to keep the Mountaineers within three of the Eagles' lead. Mitchell, who capped the period with a tip-in layup and a jumper, accounted for seven of App State's 13 points in the period.
A 3-point bucket from senior
Elena Pericic and a layup in the paint from freshman
Addie Biel kept the Mountaineers' within four early in the second period. The Mountaineers also saw back-to-back layups from Burton and Pericic and a 3-point bucket from McBride, which cut the deficit to two, 27-25. The Eagles managed to push ahead, 33-27, at the half.
The Mountaineers faced a lengthy scoring drought in the third period as the Eagles' momentum carried over from the first half. Despite being held to eight points in the third quarter, the Mountaineers chipped away at Georgia Southern's lead in the fourth, netting 19 points in the final period. McBride scored eight of her 16 points and combined with Mitchell for 13 points in the fourth quarter, the pair shooting perfectly from beyond the arc and the field. Throughout the period, App State worked to narrow the deficit, but it wasn't enough as Georgia Southern secured the win, 67-54.
Up Next
App State will host Carolina University in the Holmes Convocation Center on Dec. 29. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. JMKC members are invited to bring one friend, age 12 or under, for free for the game. 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.
