ATLANTA – The App State women's basketball team fell short to Georgia State, 79-57, in Atlanta, despite leading the Panthers through the first half.
For a fifth game this winter, senior
Emma Smith was the Mountaineers' top scorer. She netted 18 points, recording her eighth game in double figures (third consecutive from Jan. 10), and drained two of App State's five 3-point buckets. Additionally, Smith grabbed a team-high six boards, marking her ninth game as App State's top rebounder. Junior
Daisia Mitchell dished out a team-high three assists. The Mountaineers held Georgia State to five offensive rebounds.
App State (8-9, 1-6 SBC) established an early 6-2 lead as Smith and sophomore
Feryal Defne Atli made trips to the hoop for layups. With a pair of triples from seniors
Elena Pericic and
Emily Hege and a layup from freshman
Addie Biel, the Mountaineers extended their lead to 14-9. At the close of the quarter, Smith drained a triple and made a layup in the paint to push the Mountaineers ahead, 19-12. A jumper from freshman
Riley Stoker and layup from Smith kept the Black and Gold ahead, 23-16. Late in the second period, McBride drained a 3-point bucket, but Georgia State worked to catch up to the Mountaineers, narrowing the lead to three. Smith netted 11 of her 18 points and grabbed four of her rebounds in the first half as App State outpaced the Panthers, 31-28.
Early in the third quarter, Georgia State managed to meet the Mountaineers at 33 all. As the Mountaineers faced a scoring drought that kept them in single-digits during the period, the Panthers found their stride to take a 16-point lead at the close of the quarter. Despite the Mountaineers' efforts to chip away at the deficit, Georgia State's momentum carried through the remainder of the game.
Up Next
The Mountaineers' road stretch will continue next week as they travel to San Marcos, Texas for an 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) nightcap against Texas State on Jan. 21. App State will then challenge Louisiana at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) in Lafayette, La. on Jan. 24.
