WBB: Mountaineers Look to Ground Eagles in Thursday Night Matchup

January 10, 2023

Media contact: Katherine Jamtgaard – ja*********@ap******.edu 

ONLINE: https://appstatesports.com/news/2024/1/10/womens-basketball-mountaineers-look-to-ground-eagles-in-thursday-night-matchup.aspx

BOONE, N.C. – The App State women’s basketball team is headed to Statesboro, Ga. to challenge Georgia Southern on Thursday. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. tip-off and will be available to stream on ESPN+. 
 
Last Time Out
App State defeated South Alabama, 96-49, on Jan. 6. The win marked the highest margin of victory for the Black and Gold on the season and historically against Sun Belt opponents. It was also the lowest points total the Mountaineers have held an opponent to and highest score the Mountaineers had recorded in a game this winter. 
 
Leading the Mountaineers was senior Faith Alston, who netted 30 points, coming within one of her career-high. She has shot double-figures in 13 of 14 games this season and has been App State’s top scorer in eight games. Alston shot 6-of-6 from the line and drained four of the Mountaineers’ nine treys against the Jaguars. Juniors J’Mani Ingram and Samantha LaFon each pulled down seven rebounds, while fellow junior Zada Porter dished out a team-high five assists. 
 
App State held South Alabama to four treys and eight fastbreak points over the course of the game. The Mountaineers also held the Jaguars to a mere four points in the second quarter. 
 
Ranked Mountaineers 
For the week of Jan. 1 – Jan. 7, sophomore Rylan Moffitt checked in at second in the league for blocks, blocks per game, double-doubles, and offensive rebounds per game. She also stood among the NCAA’s top-25 for double-doubles. Alston ranked second in the SBC for field goals and tied with sophomore Alexis Black in the steals and steals per game categories. She also ranked third in the league for points and points per game.  

In Sun Belt action, sophomore Chaé Harris leads the league in made 3-pointers per game and stands fourth in the 3-point percentage category. App State leads the league in scoring defense and ranks fourth in the SBC for made 3-pointers, combined team rebounds, and team offensive rebounds. 

For the season as a whole,  Moffitt ranks second in the league in rebounds and fifth in blocked shots. Alston stands third in the steals category, rounds out the top-five in the scoring category, and ranks sixth in the assists category in the SBC. The Mountaineers stand third in the league and 35th nationally for turnovers forced per game. App State ranks fifth in the league for made 3-pointers. 
 
Last Time Against Georgia Southern
App State last met Georgia Southern on Feb. 11, 2023 in Boone, falling to the Eagles, 84-73. Alston netted a team-high 21 points, drilling 3-of-4 from the arc, in addition to pulling down five rebounds and dishing out a team-high four assists. Porter netted 12 points, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and draining two treys. Frazier pulled down a team-high seven rebounds for the Black and Gold and made two steals. 
 
Scouting Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern is 12-3 (2-1 SBC) on the season and enters Thursday’s contest after edging past ULM, 69-66, on Jan. 6. The Eagles currently rank third in the Sun Belt team standings. Georgia Southern went on a nine-game win-streak that spanned from Nov. 20 to its Sun Belt opener against Texas State on Dec. 30. The streak included an 111-67 road victory over Chicago State on Dec. 11. Troy snapped Georgia Southern’s streak on Jan. 4 in the Eagles’ Sun Belt home opener.
 
Terren Ward, who earned this week’s Sun Belt Player of the Week nod, is the Eagles’ top scorer, averaging 22.9 points per game. In the rebounds category, Ward averages a team-high 10.5 per contest. She also leads the Eagles in the blocks and steals categories. 
 
On the Horizon 
The Mountaineers continue their Georgia road trip as they head to Atlanta to take on Georgia State on Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. Saturday’s game will be available to stream on ESPN+.

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App State Athletics Strategic Communications
425 Jack Branch Drive
Boone, NC, 28608
www.appstatesports.com