DAVIDSON, N.C. – The App State women's basketball team erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Davidson 71-67 on Wednesday at John M. Belk Arena.

Trailing by 10 entering the final period, the Mountaineers (3-0) locked down defensively and held the Wildcats without a made field goal until the 2:45 mark of the fourth. App State shot 61.5% from the field and knocked down both of its 3-point attempts in the closing frame, fueling a 15-3 run to reclaim the lead and secure the program's first 3-0 start since the 1994-95 season. The victory also marks App State's first win over Davidson (1-3) since Nov. 27, 2022.

"This was a great win for our team," head coach Alaura Sharp said. "We showed a lot of resilience coming back to win tonight. It is hard to put into words how proud I am of our team and program tonight."

Daisia Mitchell led App State with 15 points, while Feryal Defne Atli added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting night. As a team, the Mountaineers shot 54% from the field and 6-for-11 from 3-point range while holding Davidson to 41.7% shooting overall and 25% from beyond the arc.

App State opened the game hot, shooting 7-for-13 from the field in the first quarter as Mitchell drained the period's lone 3-pointer. Defensively, the Mountaineers held the Wildcats to 5-for-15 shooting and 0-for-5 from deep to take a 16-15 lead into the second.

Davidson settled in offensively in the second quarter, shooting 47% from the field in a frame that featured six lead changes. App State matched the pace by shooting 7-for-11, including 2-for-6 from 3-point range, but despite a late basket from Joi Williams, the Wildcats carried a 35-34 advantage into halftime.

Coming out of the break, Davidson found its rhythm from beyond the arc, knocking down 4-of-9 3-pointers in the third quarter to build its 10-point cushion heading into the fourth.

From there, the Mountaineers took over defensively. App State held Davidson to 0-for-6 shooting early in the fourth and rode a 9-1 run into the media timeout before completing the 15-3 surge. The Mountaineers pushed their lead as high as seven down the stretch to seal the comeback win.

Up Next
The Mountaineers travel to West Virginia to face their first Power Four opponent of the season, taking on Northwestern as part of the Greenbrier Tip-Off on Saturday at 6 p.m.

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