BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team rounds out its last regular season road trip with a stop in Harrisonburg, Va. for a rematch against James Madison on Saturday. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. and fans will be available to stream the game on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Appearing in their fourth Education Day game of the season, the Mountaineers fell short to Coastal Carolina, 65-64, in Conway, S.C. on Wednesday, despite outsourcing the Chanticleers, 21-8 in the fourth quarter. For an eighth game this winter, senior
Emma Smith was App State's top scorer, netting a season-high 22 points. Freshman
Riley Stoker had a career game, scoring 11 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. She also netted her first collegiate career 3-point buckets. Graduate student Jad Burton dished out a team and season high six assists.
App State shot 44.4% from beyond the arc while holding the Chants, which led the Sun Belt and ranked 45th nationally in 3-point percentage entering Wednesday's game, to six 3-point buckets and a mark of 25.0%.
Rankings Report
Averaging 10.7 and 10.5 points per contest, respectively, Mitchell and Smith remain App State's top scorers. Mitchell has tallied 17 games in double figures, including five consecutive games from Jan. 23 to Feb. 7. Smith has scored double figures in 14 games, which includes a seven-consecutive game stretch over the course of January. Averaging 6.0 rebounds per contest, Smith remains App State's top rebounder. She also continues to lead the Mountaineers in assists, averaging 3.6 per contest. Smith remains second in the Sun Belt in assist to turnover ratio (1.57), She also rounds out the league's top 10 in assists per game and steals per game (1.96).
App State maintains its position as the Sun Belt's leader and rose to 19th nationally in 3-point percentage defense, holding teams to an average 3-point percentage of 26.7%. The Mountaineers also continue to lead the conference in scoring defense, holding teams to an average of 60.2 points per contest. Additionally, the Black and Gold rank among the league's top five in assists per game (14.6), rebound margin (4.7), assist to turnover ratio (0.90), and defensive rebounds per game (26.2).
Through 15 conference games, App State ranks third in the league in scoring defense, holding SBC teams to an average of 64.9 points per conference contest. The Mountaineers round out the top five in assists (14.20) and assist to turnover ratio (0.84).
Last Time Against James Madison
App State fell short to James Madison, 60-53, in Boone on Feb. 11. The Mountaineers had started strong, leading the Dukes, 26-19, through the first half before JMU found its rhythm. App State held James Madison to three 3-pointers, seven offensive rebounds, and eight second-chance points. Smith and sophomore
Feryal Defne Atli were the Mountaineers' top scorers, combining for 25 of App State's points. Smith shot 100% from beyond the arc, draining three of the Black and Gold's seven triples. Junior
Daisia Mitchell grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and dished out a team-high four assists.
Scouting James Madison
After meeting the Mountaineers last week, the Dukes defeated Old Dominion, 87-53, in Norfolk Va. The Valentine's Day victory over the Monarchs was the Dukes' sixth consecutive win since Jan. 29. JMU is 20-8 on the season, 11-4 in conference play, and enters Saturday's contest ranked 12th in this week's
CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25.
Redshirt senior guard Peyton McDaniel ranks second in the conference and rounds out the NCAA's top 25 in points, totaling 521 so far this season. She also stands second in the league and among the nation's top 40 in field goals (180) and points per game (18.6). JMU's top rebounder, graduate student forward Ashanti Barnes, rounds out the SBC's top 5 and the NCAA's top 55 in total rebounds (250) and rebounds per game (8.9). Junior guard Zakiya Stephenson leads the league and ranks 60th in the nation in total assists (119). She also ranks second in the league in assists per game, averaging 4.3 per contest. Fellow junior guard Bree Robinson ranks among the SBC's top three and NCAA's top 50 in both steals (71) and steals per game (2.54). Through 28 games, JMU leads the Sun Belt in assist to turnover ratio (0.97). The Dukes also rank among the NCAA's top 25 in rebounds per game (41.96), rebound margin (8.2), and defensive rebounds per game (28.6).
In league-only play, James Madison leads the league in scoring margin (14.6), field goal percentage (46.9%), and assist to turnover ratio (1.04). Additionally, the Dukes stand second in scoring defense (62.5), rebounds (41.4), rebound margin (9.3), defensive rebounds (28.2), and assists (15.73). Individually, Barnes stands second in the league in field goal percentage (53.0%), and Robinson ranks second in steals, averaging 2.8 per conference contest. McDaniel is third in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per conference game.
On the Horizon
The Mountaineers will return to Boone to close out the 2025-26 regular season next week. App State will host Georgia Southern on Feb. 25. Fans are encouraged to wear black and 500 black rally towels will be available for the first 500 fans. In addition to the Black Out, Wednesday's game is Stroll Night and will feature stroll performances from six NPHC organizations. App State will host Old Dominion on Feb. 27 for its regular season finale. The Mountaineers will celebrate their graduating seniors
Jada Burton,
Emily Hege, Zoë McCrary,
Elena Pericic, and
Emma Smith. Both games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
