Mountaineers Push Past Arkansas State in Final Seconds
BOONE, N.C. - Big plays down the stretch and a 3-pointer by Nicola Mathews with 11 seconds left helped Appalachian State University women's basketball (6-15, 4-6 SBC) gut out a thrilling 68-66 triumph against Arkansas State (10-10, 5-4 SBC) on Saturday afternoon at the Holmes Center.
Leading up to the final few minutes, the Mountaineers and Red Wolves were tied after Jada Ford hit a 3-pointer to knot things up, 61-61. After Plummer had missed the back end of a pair at the line, Maya Calder muscled her way for an offensive rebound and then laid it back up to give App a 64-61 cushion.
Arkansas State would then score three quick points to tie up the thriling contest after Akasha Westbrook scored on a layup in transition. On the ensuing possession, LaPresha Stanley fed Mathews with a perfect pass on the left wing for the most significant 3-pointer of her App career to push the Mountaineers in front, 67-64. Arkansas State had a chance to tie up the game on the next trip down the floor. Payton Tennison's tying attempt fell short. Mathews went 1-2 at the line after being fouled on the next offensive possession, giving the Black and Gold the 2-point edge. A-State had another shot of tying the game, but the clock ran out before it could get a shot off. The Mountaineers snap a three-game skid and capture their third straight win over the Red Wolves.
After scoring just 14 points over the past three games combined, Lainey Gosnell broke out of her mini-scoring slump to score a game-high 18 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting from the field. The 18 points are the highest output when coming off the bench, while all six shots connected from 3-point range. Bayley Plummer recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-best 10 rebounds. Plummer stuffed the stat sheet with four assists, three blocks, and a steal. Tierra Wilson hung 12 points along with four rebounds and three helpers, while Mathews finished the game with nine points, four assists and three off the glass.
Contributions were received by everyone as App assisted on a staggering 22 of 25 field goals (88 percent) with six Mountaineers collecting multiple assists and five with at least three helpers. The bench also stepped up their game. On top of Gosnell's 18, Calder added five points and three off the window including crunch-time rebounds in the fourth frame. The reserves combined to shoot 9-for-12 with 26 points and seven rebounds.
The 3-point shot for App was falling as it went 11-for-18 (61.1 percent) from deep. Appalachian has hit 10 or more 3-pointers in three games.
Both teams came out scorching in the first frame hitting 18-of-29 combined field goals and 10-for-15 from deep. Armani Hampton started the Mountaineers on a stretch of five straight baskets in a row to stretch a three-point lead into a 17-10 advantage following a Mathews trey. However, the Red Wolves clawed back to cut the deficit to one, 22-21. Wilson found Gosnell in transition for a corner trey just before the horn sounded to give the Black and Gold a 25-21 lead going into the second period.
App shot 10-for-13 from the floor while the 76.9 percent shooting was the highest out of any quarter, and all 10 field goals were assisted on.
Neither team could get any separation as the lead never grew larger than four points. Trailing 33-29 with 3:21 left in the half, Hampton sparked an 8-0 spurt with her second of three jumpers before back-to-back trifectas from Gosnell capped off the surge and gave App a 37-33 lead. However, the Red Wolves would score the final five points to take a one-point edge into the break.
A-State continued the hot shooting hitting six of its first nine shots to take its largest lead of the game at six, 53-47. App State then came back with a run of its own when Gosnell and Wilson converted back-to-back shots from 3-point land backed by a Plummer layup and another trifecta from the Demorest, Ga., native. The run gave App the three-point edge, 58-55, before Westbrook's free throw made the score 58-56.
Appalachian wouldn't relinquish the lead the rest of the game despite Arkansas State tying up the game on two occasions. The Black and Gold held a slim margin while the defense clamped down to limit A-State to 3-for-19 in the final frame including a stretch where the Red Wolves missed 16 straight shots and endured a 5:56 scoring drought. App didn't fare much better from the field hitting just two field goals, but both shots came in the final three minutes of the game when App need them the most.
The Mountaineers will look to keep the momentum going next week when they head Arlington, Texas to face UT Arlington on Thursday at 6 p.m. (ET).
Hot Shooting, Atwater's Record Passing Help Eagles Notch First Sun Belt Win, 73-68 Over UTA
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern women's basketball squad shot a season-best 51.9 percent from the floor in picking up its first Sun Belt Conference win of the season, defeating UT Arlington 73-68 on Saturday afternoon at Hanner Fieldhouse.
The win also snapped a losing streak that had grown to 13 games for the Eagles (4-16, 1-8 SBC), the second-longest in school history. Georgia Southern did it by shooting 15 points better from the field than it had against a league opponent this season. UT Arlington falls to 11-10 overall and 5-5 in the SBC with the loss, halting a three-game win streak.
The season-high in shooting came off of a record-setting performance by point guard Amira Atwater, who had 13 assists on the day, breaking the previous record of 12 set by Gwenda Smith vs. Furman on Feb. 13, 1993, and Vet Cooper vs. Tennessee State on Nov. 23, 1990.
The Eagles shot a season-best 52 percent from the field in the first half, but UTA shot 54.8 percent in building a 40-32 lead. Georgia Southern came out in the second half and made five of its first seven shots from the floor - capped by a Trellanie English-Lurry three-pointer that would give Georgia Southern its first lead of the game, 44-43, with 6:43 left in the period.
A layup by Rhein Beamon pushed the Eagles' lead to three, 51-48, with 2:12 left in the fhird quarter, but a three-point play by Laurynn McGowen and a three-pointer by Crystal Allen put the Mavericks back in front, 54-51, at the end of the third quarter.
UTA pushed its lead to seven, 60-53, with 6:20 left on a McGowen jumper, but the Eagles tied things up with a 7-0 run, capped by an Alexis Brown three-pointer from 25 feet out at the top of the key, that made the score 60-all with 3:41 left. UTA's Allen hit a pair of free throws with 2:29 left, but Hailey Dias-Allen answered with a drive and a bucket to tie things up at 62-all with 1:59 remaining.
Dias-Allen then canned a three-pointer with 1:11 left to put the Eagles back in front, 65-62. UTA's VanDijk hit a layup with 51 seconds left to get within one, but Alexis Foulks' driving layup with 33 seconds left put GS back up by three, 67-64. An entry pass intended for VanDijk was off her fingertips out of bounds with 24.7 seconds left, forcing the Mavericks to foul. The Eagles made six of six free throws in the final 24 seconds to clinch the victory.
"It all starts with Amira [Atawater]," Georgia Southern Head Coach Kip Drown said. "You look, she had 13 assists, five the other night [Thursday vs. Texas State]. And she would have had more had we made baskets. She puts us in such a great tempo, she's giving the kids great looks. Trell [English-Lurry] hit a couple of big threes in the second half that came from her in transition. We're starting to play with some rhythm."
"This means a lot," Georgia Southern sophomore guard Nakol Franks said. "It definitely gives us confidence that we have lacked in the past, and I hope will give us some momentum moving forward, so we can go and win some more games."
Five Eagles reached double digit scoring, led by Franks' 16 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field, but a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Dias-Allen scored a career-high 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor, while Trellanie English-Lurry collected 11 points - all coming in the third quarter. Foulks and Beamon each chipped in 10 points.
UTA was led by Rebekah VanDijk's 20 points and 10 rebounds on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting from the floor, a program record for the Mavericks. Allen had 18 points while McGowen added 13 points.
The Mavericks shot 46 percent from the floor (26-of-56) in comparison to the Eagles' 51.9 percent from the floor (27-of-52). UTA hit 31.6 percent from three-point range (6-of-19) while Georgia Southern shot 30.8 percent (8-of-26). The Eagles were 11-of-12 from the free throw line (91.7 percent) while the Mavericks were 62.5 percent (10-of-16).
"I am so proud of our kids, it's all about them," Coach Drown said about the first conference win. "They kept hanging in there and they haven't gotten any reward lately. They come to practice, keep getting better, and it's tough to keep fighting through that all the time."
The Eagles will return to action on Thursday, February 1, traveling to Little Rock for a 6 p.m. Sun Belt Conference tilt in Little Rock, Ark.
Troy Completes Road Swing with 62-55 Win at Louisiana
LAFAYETTE, Louisiana – For just the second time in program history, Troy left Louisiana with a pair of wins after knocking off UL Lafayette, 62-55, on Saturday in the Cajundome.
With the game still teetering, Kayla Robinson answered every Ragin' Cajun attack scoring seven points in the fourth quarter to keep the Trojans lead intact. Robinson finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double in three games. She has now scored in double figures in five straight games.
Troy (10-10, 5-4 Sun Belt) defeated ULM on Thursday marking the first time since 2014-15 that the program has won at both ULM and UL Lafayette in the same season. The Trojans, winners of three straight, trailed by 10 in the first half after making just three of its first 19 shots and ending the first quarter on a 3:30 scoring drought. Amber Rivers kick started the Trojan offense knocking down a jumper followed by a 3-pointer to close the gap to five, 21-16.
After a few adjustments, Troy's pressure defense started making a difference. UL Lafayette committed just two turnovers in the first quarter, but were forced into eight in the second frame. Troy held the Ragin' Cajuns to just five points in the quarter and trailed by just two, 24-22 at halftime.
The Trojans took the lead for the first time after back-to-back layups by Robinson with 5:33 left in the third. Sparked by a Harriet Winchester jumper, Troy went on a 7-2 run to end a quarter that saw seven lead changes. Despite making just three field goals in the first quarter and a half, the Trojans missed just four times in the final frame knocking down 7-of-11 shots (63.6 percent).
Rivers scored 15 points in the game on 6-of-10 shooting. Winchester added 11 points for her sixth double digit performance of the season.
UP NEXT
Troy returns to Trojan Arena to face rival South Alabama at 2 p.m. in a WHITEOUT game. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free rally towel and the first 500 students will get a free WHITEOUT t-shirt.
Trojans Survive Thriller, Move to 9-0 in SBC Play
CONWAY, S.C. – A shot from the baseline by Ronjanae DeGray with one second remaining allowed Little Rock women's basketball to survive a 51-49 thriller on the road at Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon at The HTC Center.
With the victory, Little Rock (12-9, 9-0 Sun Belt) has won nine consecutive games this season and 14 consecutive Sun Belt games dating back to last season.
DeGray finished the game with 13 points, four rebounds and two steals. Keanna Keys was the Trojans' leading scorer as she posted her second-most points this season with 14 while earning two steals and a team-high five rebounds. Monique Townson was the third Trojan in double figures as she finished the game with 10 points and two steals while going 2-for-2 from three and 4-for-4 from the foul line.
Jas Adams was the leading scorer for the Chanticleers (11-10, 5-5 Sun Belt) as she came away with 14 points and two steals. DJ Williams came up a point shy of a double-double with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Alise Davis was a rebound shy of a double-double with nine rebounds and 11 points.
Although Coastal Carolina shot 48.7 percent (19-for-39) compared to Little Rock's 35.2 percent (19-for-54), turnovers ended up making all the difference. The Chanticleers committed 23 for the game — tied for the most by a Little Rock opponent this season. The Trojans capitalized by scoring 22 of their 51 points off turnovers.
It was all on the line in the fourth quarter as both sides remained within six points for the duration. After Little Rock made it a six-point game at 46-40 with two free throws by Townson, Coastal Carolina surged with a 9-2 run to take a 49-48 lead with 2:07 left to play. Still up by one with 15 seconds to play, Adams fouled Keys and sent her to the line. Keys made one of her two free throws to knot the game at 49, but the ball went off the Chanticleers and out of play on the ensuing rebound to give the Trojans possession once again. With one second remaining on the clock, DeGray made a jumper from the corner to give Little Rock the lead. After the Chanticleers took a timeout, Coastal missed its last-second jumper and sent Little Rock home with the win. The Trojans shot just 18.2 percent (2-for-11) in the final quarter, but the Chanticleers defeated themselves by committing seven turnovers. All seven of Little Rock's fourth-quarter points came off turnovers.
Despite being outscored 18-15 in the third quarter, the Trojans ended the period on an 8-2 run to stay up 44-40. Little Rock shot a game-high 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from the field and was 2-for-3 from three. Townson tallied both of the Trojans' three-point shots in the quarter and led the team with six points.
The Trojans outscored the Chanticleers 14-8 in the second quarter to take a 29-22 lead to the locker room. Tied at 16, Little Rock went on a 9-0 run to go up 25-16. The Trojans shot just 30.8 percent (4-for-13) in the period, but they went 5-for-6 from the foul line. Keys had a game-high 11 points at the break.
Little Rock held a narrow 15-14 lead after the first 10 minutes of action, and Tori Lasker led the quarter with five points. The Trojans shot 36.8 percent (7-for-19) while the Chanticleers were much more accurate at 50 percent (6-for-12). Little Rock's largest lead of the game was nine points with 5:16 left in the period.
Lasker finished the game with eight points, three rebounds and three assists. Terrion Moore had three assists to go along with two points and two steals. Yanina Inkina and Teal Battle each had two points while Inkina had four boards.
Little Rock will return to the Jack Stephens Center to face Georgia Southern for the second time this season on Thursday at 5 p.m.
JAGUARS KEEPS WIN STREAK ALIVE WITH VICTORY AT ULM
MONROE, La. – The University of South Alabama women's basketball team (15-5, 8-1 SBC) extended its win streak to six as they hung on against the ULM Warhawks (4-15, 1-9 SBC), 67-60, on the road in Monroe. The Jags' 8-1 Sun Belt Conference record is the best start in conference play in program history since the SBC expanded the schedule to 16 games for the 1991-92 season.
Savannah Jones led the way for South Alabama scoring 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, all from three-point range. The six made three-pointers ties for fourth-most in a game in program history and the redshirt freshman is the second player to do so this season, Erin Autio drained six at Alabama State on Nov. 28.
Autio joined Jones as the only two Jags to reach double-figures in scoring with 16. The senior shot 6-of-9 from the field, 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, grabbed six rebounds, and had an assist, rejection and steal in the win.
Genesis Perrymond recorded nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range. The senior guard collected four assists, a block and a steal in the victory.
Chyna Ellis brought down nine rebounds and rejected four shots, while collecting six points. Shaforia Kines had a game-high six helpers while turning the ball over just once and had five points and five boards.
Antoinette Lewis came up big down the stretch for USA scoring eight points in the final four minutes of the game. The freshman forward also collected four rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal.
Gabriella Cortez and Arsula Clark were led the Warhawks in scoring with 21 and 16, respectively. Cortez went 16-for-17 at the charity-stripe, but was 2-of-10 from the field, including 1-for-7 on three-point attempts. Clark went 7-of-14 from the field and grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double.
Bobcats Bind the Panthers, 83-63
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Texas State women's basketball team (14-7, 7-3 SBC) pulled away late to take down Georgia State (5-15, 1-8 SBC), 83-63, in a matinee matchup on Saturday afternoon inside the GSU Sports Arena.
The win gives the Bobcats its first weekend sweep of Sun Belt Conference opponents on the road since knocking off South Alabama (Feb. 4) and Troy (Feb. 7) in 2015. TXST has now won eight true road wins this season, the most since winning nine road games during the 2002-03. That team advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Southland Conference Tournament.
"We battled back in the second half," head coach Zenarae Antoine said. "Our offense fed off of the turnovers in the third quarter. I felt that we played with more energy, the girls had more fun in the second half. Obviously it was a special night for both Toshua and Taeler. They are special players and that was on full display tonight."
Using a 9-0 run in the first quarter, the Bobcats seized early momentum. During the brief 90-second run, Toshua Leavitt and Brooke Holle combined to knock down a trio of 3-pointers. However, the Panthers would not go away, rallying to end the quarter on a 12-4 extended run. The home team led after the first 10 minutes of action, 16-15.
Georgia State continued to befuddle the Texas State defense, pounding the ball in the paint. The Panthers surged out to a seven-point lead with one minute left in the first half. Leavitt provided instant offense for the Bobcats, knocking down two more 3-point attempts in the final minute of the second quarter. GSU carried a one-point lead into the halftime break, 36-35.
Needing a spark in the third quarter, the Bobcats turned to Leavitt once again. The junior guard canned four shots from beyond the arc, igniting TXST's offense. With the defense stretched out attempting to close off the 3-point line, Ti'Aira Pitts went to work in the paint. The senior forward scored seven of her 13 points in the third frame. For the second straight game, a huge third quarter pushed the Bobcats out in front. Texas State outscored Georgia State 23-15 in the quarter.
Leavitt was far from done. The sharpshooter scored 10 more points in the fourth, running her total 34 points, matching her career high. Leavitt also poured in 34 points in a loss to Coastal Carolina earlier this season. She buried 10-of-16 shot attempts from behind the 3-point line, tying her school record, also set against CCU. Her final 3-point attempt came 34 seconds left in the game on an assist from Taeler Deer.
The assists gave Deer 14 for the game, breaking a school record that had stood for over 30 seasons. The previous record was set by Rolish Goins. She handed out 13 helpers in a 93-87 win over McNeese State on Jan. 21, 1988. Deer also netted 19 points, giving the senior guard her second double-double in as many games. She has posted double-doubles in four games this season. Finally, assist no. 12 in the game pushed Deer past Ayriel Anderson (348 career assists) for second in school history. She trails only Shelly Borton on the all-time assist list.
The Bobcats are back home for a pair of games with Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State next week. TXST played both teams earlier this season, opening the Sun Belt Conference slate with a 69-54 victory over the Mountaineers. Two days later, the Bobcats fell at the hands of the Chanticleers, 65-64. CCU will be in town on Feb. 1 for a 5:30 tip. The game on Feb. 3 against App is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and will be the team's annual Pink Game.