ATLANTA, Ga. – The App State women's basketball team fell short to Georgia State, 53-50, in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday.
A trio of Mountaineers drained double-figures, led by senior
Mara Neira, who netted 16 points. Neira has been the Mountaineers' top scorer in both of this week's games as well as five games this season. Additionally, Neira drained four of App State's seven treys and made five of App State's eight steals. Fellow senior
Zada Porter netted 12 points, marking her 14th game this season netting double-figures. She drained a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe and grabbed eight rebounds. Porter also matched fellow senior
Eleyana Tafisi for the team-high in the assists category, each dishing out four assists. Junior
Elena Pericic scored 10 points and accounted for the remaining three of App State's treys. App State's top rebounder was
Rylan Moffitt, who grabbed 11 on the night.
App State (13-12, 9-5 SBC) shot 90% from the charity stripe and netted 26 points off the bench. The Black and Gold scored nine second chance points to Georgia State's two. The Mountaineers also held the Panthers to eight offensive rebounds. App State and Georgia State knotted the score thrice and swapped the lead twice.
A jumper from Porter put the Mountaineers on the board, knotting the score early at 2-2. Georgia State found momentum to take a 10-2 lead. Neira drilled her first trey of the night midway through the period. Pericic knocked down two from the arc to cut the deficit to 15-11. Neira brought the Mountaineers within two, 15-13, after a fastbreak layup in the paint. Despite a pair of freebies from Porter, who had also grabbed four of her eight rebounds in the period, App State trailed Georgia State 18-15 at the close of the quarter.
Senior
J'Mani Ingram opened the second quarter with a jumper and a freebie from Pericic knotted the score at 18 all. Back-to-back treys from Pericic and Neira pushed the Mountaineers ahead, 24-21. As the Mountaineers faced a scoring drought, the Panthers went on a 12-0 run to take a 33-24 lead into halftime. Pericic and Neira combined for eighteen of App State's 24 points in the first half.
The Mountaineers opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run as Porter drained a pair of jumpers and a pair of freebies, and Neira made it to the hoop for a fastbreak layup. The Black and Gold's run cut the deficit to 33-32. Free throws from Tafisi kept the Mountaineers within one (35-34), but the Panthers pulled ahead, 40-34. Despite a tip-in from Moffitt, App State trailed Georgia State by seven at the close of the period.
In the fourth quarter, Neira and Moffitt combined for 12 of App State's 14 points. Neira opened the period with a trey. A layup and free throws from Moffitt cut the deficit to 45-43. The Mountaineers stayed within two of the Panthers' lead after another Neira trey and Moffitt jumper (50-48). Porter landed one last jumper, but it wasn't enough as Georgia State sealed the win 53-50.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will return to Boone for their final regular season homestand. App State will host Marshall on Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. for App State Club Day. The Black and Gold will then host Sun Belt leader James Madison for Alumni Day at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 22. Saturday's game against the Dukes is part of a doubleheader with the men's program, which will host Marshall at 1 p.m. Fans are encouraged to come early for the men's game and stay late for the women's game.
For all remaining home men's and women's basketball games,
BOGO tickets are available for fans when they use the promo code
MOUNTAINSTRONG. Additionally, for the remaining home basketball games, App State faculty and staff will receive free admission when they show their App Cards.
