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February 21, 2025MBB: App State Uses Big Overtime Period to Down Georgia Southern
Feb. 20, 2025
Contact: Jacob Plecker (pl*******@ap******.edu)
Box Score: Attached
Postgame Press Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cZbo9driWo
BOONE, N.C. – For the first time this season, the App State Men’s Basketball team played in overtime at the Holmes Center on Thursday. The Mountaineers used a strong run in the extra period to take control of the contest and won by five points, 79-74. App State’s 8-0 run to open the overtime frame was all it needed to pull away for the close win in what was the third consecutive game with the Georgia Southern Eagles to be decided in overtime.
App State’s (17-10, 10-5 SBC) overtime triumph against the Eagles (14-14, 6-9 SBC) marked its 10th home win of the season. It’s the Mountaineers’ fourth straight 10-win season at home, marking the first time in the Holmes Center era that they have tallied four consecutive 10-win seasons at home. The Mountaineers have now won 25 of their last 28 games played at home.
Additionally, App State claimed its 10th conference win of the season with the victory, marking the second straight season that App State has won 10 or more league games. The last time the Mountaineers posted back-to-back 10-win league seasons came in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. App State’s victory also marked its 100th win as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
Both CJ Huntley and Myles Tate posted huge games as the duo combined to score 51 of the Mountaineers’ 79 points. Tate tallied a game-best 26 points, one off his career high, and surpassed 1,000 career collegiate points late in the first half. Huntley finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, marking his second straight double-double and eighth double-double of the season. It’s the first time in the Dustin Kerns era that two Mountaineers have scored at least 25 points in the same game.
How it Happened
Opening up the team’s final homestand of the season, App State started the scoring as Huntley found his way to the basket for an early score. The Eagles tied the score at two with a basket, but the Mountaineers tallied the next four points to take a 6-2 lead by the 17:37 mark thanks to Tate’s first score and Huntley’s hook shot in the paint to give him four early points.
Alonzo Dodd’s first score of the game quickly put the Mountaineers ahead by six before the first media timeout. Georgia Southern answered to close the gap to just two points with 16 minutes to play before Tate’s first three fell through the net to swell the Mountaineers ahead five. Jalil Beaubrun and Alonzo Dodd combined to score the next three points to shoot App State ahead 16-7 by the 13:49 mark, capping off an 8-0 Mountaineer run.
The Eagles scored a bucket to trim their deficit down to seven by the second media timeout, but App State stormed ahead by 10 points after Jackson Threadgill sunk a three from the top of the key, marking his first basket. Luke Wilson made it a 12-point game, the Mountaineers’ largest lead of the game, by the 10:15 mark with a pair of free throws. Wilson’s freebies ended an extended 13-2 run by the Mountaineers to build a double-digit advantage.
Trailing by double-digits, Georgia Southern went on its own run to saw App State’s lead down to just seven, but Beaubrun was having none of that as he hit a hook shot in the paint to put the Mountaineers back up nine. Huntley answered a Bradley Douglas jumper to make the score 27-18, but the Eagles trimmed the advantage down to just five by the under-four timeout.
A four-point play converted by Adante’ Holiman forced the score within four points as Georgia Southern went on a 13-5 run. Wilson hit another free throw to make it a five-point game, but the Eagles tied the game up at 30 apiece with 2:46 to play in the half as they capitalized on a Mountaineer miscue.
The Eagles took their first lead of the contest at 32-30, but seven straight points by Tate halted any momentum generated. The senior sunk two threes on back-to-back possessions, which included an electrifying four-point play to give him 1,000 career collegiate points. Huntley’s first three of the game jolted the crowd as he pumped his first when the Mountaineers led by eight with 44 seconds left in the first half.
Back up eight with time winding down, the Mountaineers looked to force a stop on the other end. App State couldn’t get that stop as it fouled Holiman on a three to send him to the line where he converted all three chances to make the score 40-35 App State at halftime. Holiman was fouled on two 3-point attempts in the first half.
App State’s 40 points in the first half marked its second-highest scoring first half in Sun Belt play. The Mountaineers shot 52 percent in the opening frame and drilled five of their 13 3-point attempts. Tate’s 14 points led all scorers in the first stanza, but Huntley was right behind him with 12 of his own.
A Nate Brafford 3-pointer quickly brought the game within two points to open the second half, but App State wasn’t fazed as Huntley and Tate scored the game’s next five points to quickly shoot the Mountaineers back ahead by seven at the 16:57 mark. A Holiman three ended the spurt, but a thunderous putback dunk by Huntley and a strong move by Beaubrun answered the score, putting App State ahead seven by the first media timeout.
The Mountaineers used a quick 5-2 run to jump back ahead by double-digits after Huntley hit a second-chance layup. Huntley’s free throw made it an 11-point game, App State’s largest lead of the second half. Not quitting, Georgia Southern scored five consecutive points to trim the gap to five and then scored six of the game’s next eight points to make it a two-point game with 9:54 to play in regulation.
A Eugene Brown III dunk tied the score at 58 all with 8:45 left in the game. Despite the frenzy, the Mountaineers went on another 6-0 run to take a six-point lead at the under-eight timeout. A powerful dunk by Huntley over a pair of defenders started the spurt before Tate and Beaubrun found the hoop.
Georgia Southern then went on a run to tie the score again at 66 with 3:18 to go. A clutch posterizing dunk by Luke Wilson put the Mountaineers ahead two with 90 seconds to go. The two teams then endured a four-possession scoring drought before Collin Kuhl’s second-chance layup tied the game at 68. Tate put up a heave at the buzzer, but it didn’t go. This game needed an extra period to be decided.
App State stormed ahead to open its first overtime game of the season, using an 8-0 run to take a 76-68 lead just three minutes into the period. Tate played a large role in jumpstarting the offense as he tallied two layups in four offensive possessions. Defensively, the Mountaineers tallied stops on five straight Eagle trips down the floor.
Finally ending the run, the Eagles cut the gap to just four points with 42 seconds to go with five straight points, but Huntley’s and Tate’s free-throw shooting iced the Eagles in Boone on a cold night, sealing a five-point victory at the Holmes Center. App State has now won each of its last five overtime games.
Top Performers
Recording his 12th 20-point game of the season, Myles Tate led all scorers against the Eagles with 26 and tallied his 1,000th career collegiate point in the game. The senior also totaled seven boards and five assists. CJ Huntley joined Tate as 25-point scorers with 25 points and notched his eighth double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. Huntley was nails at the free-throw line, converting eight of his 12 shots at the charity stripe. Luke Wilson played a huge 18 minutes for App State in the game and closed out the contest with seven points, five rebounds and two blocks. Wilson was key in securing the win as his defensive presence stifled several Eagle shots in the overtime period.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will wrap up their 2024-25 home schedule with a matchup against the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday. Saturday’s game is senior day and App State will honor its five seniors before the game. Additionally, Saturday is Alumni Day at the Holmes Center. App State will retire Darryl Robinson’s jersey at halftime. Tipoff from the Holmes Center is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
The 2024-25 men’s basketball season is presented by Foscoe Companies.
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App State Athletics Strategic Communications
425 Jack Branch Drive
Boone, NC, 28608
www.appstatesports.com
