By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A 17-0 run to close a 16-point deficit and take a 5-point lead with six minutes remaining wasn’t enough for Appalachian State against former Southern Conference rival Furman on Nov. 29. Crediting some combination of stellar Paladin defense and Mountaineer woes on offense, App State only managed one field goal in the last six minutes before losing, 65-61, in front of 1,956 college basketball fans in the Holmes Convocation Center.
Just 11 seconds into the second half, the visiting Paladins took their biggest lead of the night, 16 points, 35-19. After the Mountaineers whittled down that deficit and took the lead for the first time with 7:10 remaining in the contest, 54-52, AppNation had hope for another come-from-behind victory.
But it didn’t happen. The Mountaineers couldn’t take advantage of multiple opportunities created by Furman turnovers and missed foul shots in the closing minute.
After the Mountaineers took the lead for the first time, they seemed to gain not only the upper hand but also offensive momentum while the Paladins appeared rattled, fouling repeatedly, giving the likes of Dibaji Walker and C J Huntley opportunities at the charity stripe. They expanded the App State lead to five points, 57-52.
But that Mountaineer momentum was short-circuited. Paladin guard Mike Bothwell, who poured in a game-high 23 points on the night, took charge as the visitors gathered themselves. Furman tied the game at 57-57, and expanded their advantage to 63-57 on free throws and a 3-pointer by Bothwell, along with an opportunistic play under the basket by forward Garrett Hien coming off the bench, with 2:03 left in the ball game.
App State’s versatile playmaker Donovan Gregory closed the gap to 63-61 with a driving layup and free throws after he was fouled on the play, but the Mountaineers otherwise took little advantage of Furman’s missed shots down the stretch. Forced to foul in the closing seconds and hope to get the ball back on a Paladin miss, Appalachian’s prospects dimmed darkly when Bothwell sank two free throws with just six seconds left on the clock.
App State’s 17-0 run in the second half to overcome the 16-point deficit, however, was impressive, with scoring contributions from Carvell Teasett, Terence Harcum, Christopher Mantis, C J Huntley, and Dibaji Walker.
After the game, Mountaineer head coach acknowledged the “fight” in his players but was obviously disappointed in the result.
“(That was) a tough finish against a really good team and a really good program,” said Kerns in his opening statement. “I am proud of our fight but disappointed in our play. Seven assists and 17 turnovers is not going to beat anybody. Disappointing.”
Of the game-changing momentum shift from a 17-0 run to failing to make but one field goal in the final six-minute stretch, Kerns said, “I thought that group did a tremendous job getting us back in the game, but they were absolutely exhausted. They were asking to be subbed. We subbed some guys in who should have helped us keep it going. We tried to run some stuff to give (certain) guys specific looks, but we missed a couple of quality looks. We got fouled, but at the end of the day we have to be able to sub with our depth, especially with who we sub. I credit that particular five for getting us back in it.”
The Mountaineers will be looking for a rebound on Friday, Dec. 2, when they play Charlotte in the Queen City’s Halton Arena, 7 p.m.
Noteworthy
- With 22 blocks on the young season, including three against Furman, Mountaineer freshman Justin Abson is tied for fourth in the nation with John Broome (Auburn) and Joshua Morgan (Southern California), behind Western Kentucky’s 7-5 center Jamarion Sharp (34), Oral Roberts’ 7-3 forward Connor Vanover (28), and Oklahoma State’s 6-10 Moussa Cisse. The 6-9 Abson is one of only three freshmen in the top 40 of the blocked shots category.
- Reflecting the team’s roster depth, offensively, App State is now ranked No. 57 in the NCAA’s Division I in bench points per game (29.75). Among other Sun Belt Conference members, James Madison is No. 3 (39.75) and Troy is No. 10 (36.25).
SELECTED TEAM STATS
- Field Goal % – FUR 38%, APP 43%
- 3 Pt % – FUR 24%, APP 25%
- Free Throw % – FUR 83%, APP 67%
- Turnovers – FUR 11, APP 17
- Points off Turnovers – FUR 21, APP 17
- Total Rebounds – FUR 37, APP 37
- Offensive Rebounds – FUR 9, APP 5
- 2nd Chance Points – FUR 7, APP 4
- Fast Break Points – FUR 17, APP 10
- Blocks – FUR 2, APP 6
- Steals – FUR 10, APP 4
- Assists – FUR 18, APP 7
Leading Scorers
- FUR Bothwell (23)
- FUR Slawson (16)
- APP Gregory (12)
- FUR Foster (12)
- APP Harcum (11)
- APP Huntley (10)
- APP Abson (6)
- FUR Hien (6)
Rebounding Leaders
- FUR Slawson (12)
- FUR Hien (10)
- APP Huntley (7)
- APP Abson (7)
Blocked Shot Leaders
- APP Abson (3)
- APP Huntley (2)
- APP Walker (1)
- FUR Bothwell (1)
- FUR Slawson (1)
Steals
- FUR Foster (3)
Assists
- FUR Pegues (6)
- FUR Foster (4)
- APP Gregory (2)
