BOONE, N.C. - After opening its four-game homestand with a bang, the App State men's basketball team will next welcome the Old Dominion Monarchs to the Holmes Center for a Saturday matinee matchup in Boone. This will be the second and final matchup of the regular season between the two teams, with the last meeting coming on Dec. 31 in Norfolk. Tip off from the Holmes Center is scheduled for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
App State posted its fifth double-digit home win of the season with its 80-65 win over James Madison on Thursday. Of the Mountaineers' six home wins this season, they have won by an average of 32 points per game. App State needs just one more double-digit win at home to match its total from all of last season (posted six wins by double-digits at home last season).
App State enters Saturday's contest vs. the Monarchs having won 31 of its last 37 games at the Holmes Center since the start of the 2023-24 season. Over the last 37 home games, the Mountaineers have outscored their foes by 15.9 points per game (587 total). App State's 15-point victory over James Madison on Thursday was its fifth win of at least 15 points at home this season, which marks the most 15-point home wins for the Mountaineers since totaling seven in the 2023-24 season.
In addition to its home record, The Mountaineers enter Saturday's contest vs. Old Dominion with the most conference wins of any other team in the Sun Belt Conference since 2019, boasting 69 wins, which is three clear of the next closest team (South Alabama - 66). Since
Dustin Kerns took over the program before the 2019 season, the Mountaineers have totaled four 10-win seasons in Sun Belt play, which are the most in six years since 2006-12 (also achieved four in those six seasons).
The Matchup
- Who: App State vs. Old Dominion
- Where: Holmes Convocation Center // Boone, N.C.
- When: Saturday, Jan. 17 // 1 p.m.
Tune In
- Watch: Watch (ESPN+) | Bob Dillner (PxP), John Reisterer (Color
- 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
In its first home game of 2026, App State raced ahead to a 12-0 lead less than three minutes into the game, which helped lead to a wire-to-wire 80-65 victory over the James Madison Dukes on Thursday at the Holmes Center. App State led from its first possession of the game to the final whistle in its return to Boone.
The Mountaineers were physical with the Dukes all game, which helped lead to a seven-rebound advantage for App State (38-31). Three different App State players finished their night with at least nine rebounds in
Alonzo Dodd (10),
Luke Wilson (nine) and
Michael Marcus Jr. (nine). Dodd's 10 rebounds went along with 23 points, which helped lead to his first career double-double.
On top of scoring a career-best 23 points, Jennings set a personal milestone on Thursday by notching his 1,000th career collegiate point at the 3:38 mark of the second half. Jennings had just five points at halftime, but scored 18 of his 23 points to get to the significant milestone. The graduate guard from Atlanta has already set his career best for points in a season, and stands at 1,001 points after tonight's game.
Scouting the Mountaineers
App State enters play on Saturday with an 11-8 record and has won seven of its last 10 games, which include four by double digits. App State owns a 4-3 record in Sun Belt play, which places it in sole possession of sixth place in the league standings. The Mountaineers are one of six teams with at least three Sun Belt wins entering Saturday, and stand just two games back from the top of the league's standings.
Since the 2023-24 season, which saw the Mountaineers take home the regular-season Sun Belt championship, App State owns a 30-13 record (70 percent win percentage) in league games. App State has gotten to that record thanks in large part to stout defense, as it has led the Sun Belt each of the past two seasons in scoring defense in conference-only play. Over the last 43 league games, the Mountaineers have allowed just 64.6 points per game.
Offensive rebounding has become a strong point for App State this season, as it enters Saturday's game as the Sun Belt's third-ranked team in offensive rebounding (12.4 per game). App State enters Saturday having grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in each of its last five games. The Mountaineers see two players ranked in the top 10 in the Sun Belt in offensive rebounding in Marcus Jr. (first - 3.0 per game) and Wilson (T-seventh - 2.2 per game).
Three players enter Saturday's game averaging at least 10 points in Jennings (14.6), Dodd (12.9) and Wilson (10.6). Jennings and Dodd each tallied 23 points on Thursday against JMU, marking the first time this season that two or more Mountaineers have eclipsed 23 points in the same game. Dodd has been especially hot since Sun Belt play opened as he is averaging 16 points a game, which is the 15th-highest tally in the league. Dodd enters Saturday having scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games.
Scouting the Monarchs
Old Dominion enters play on Saturday in Boone with a 5-14 record, which includes a 2-5 record in Sun Belt play. The Monarchs have lost back-to-back games to James Madison (Jan. 10) and Georgia Southern (Jan. 15), but both came by three points or fewer.
Four Monarchs enter Saturday averaging greater than 10 points in Ketron Shaw, Jordan Battle, LJ Thomas and Robert Davis Jr. Shaw, who averages 16 points a game, is the eighth-ranked scorer in the Sun Belt entering Saturday, and has scored in double figures in all but one game this season.
ODU struggles on the defensive end, as it is ranked 11th in the Sun Belt in scoring defense, allowing 77.5 points a game. The Monarchs have allowed 80 or more points nine times this season.
Series History
App State and Old Dominion are slated to meet for the second and final time of the regular season on Saturday after last meeting on New Year's Eve at Chartway Arena. The Mountaineers broke a two-game losing streak against the Monarchs by posting an 81-73 victory.
App State owns the edge in the all-time series against the Monarchs at 5-3 and enters Saturday's game having won four of the last six contests against ODU.
App State shot 53.7 percent in the Dec. 31 meeting with ODU, which marked its highest shooting percentage against a Division I opponent this season.
Next Up
The Mountaineers will play their first matchup against a Sun Belt West team next Thursday when it welcomes the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns to the Holmes Center. Tip off from Boone is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
