An instant classic, App State shoots past Toledo, 109-104

By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — On a day full of marquee matchups in college hoops, over 5,000 High Country fans witnessed what might have been the best of them all.

App State played host to Toledo on Feb. 10 in the Holmes Convocation Center for the second leg of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. The Mountaineers defeated the Rockets in a double-overtime, instant classic, 109-104.

App State was led by a “vintage” 24-point performance from fifth-year forward Donovan Gregory, who was one of six Mountaineers to reach double-digit points. Gregory was joined by Myles Tate (20), Jordan Marsh (17), Terence Harcum (16), CJ Huntley (13) and Justin Abson (11) as top scorers for App State. Tate and Abson recorded seven rebounds each, while Marsh joined Abson in dishing out a team-best four assists. 

Toledo also saw six players log at least 10 points: Dante Maddox Jr. (25), Tyler Cochran (17), Sonny Wilson (17), Ra’Heim Moss (16), Javan Simmons (15) and André Lorentsson (10). Simmons added a game-high 10 rebounds to notch a double-double in the contest, while Maddox Jr. tacked on a game-high five assists.

Strength vs. Strength

Entering Saturday’s matchup, Toledo had the top-rated scoring offense in the MAC, while App State had the Sun Belt’s best defense. The game was shaping up to be a battle of the bests on both sides of the ball, but the offenses quickly took over.

Following a rough start for App State that saw Toledo jump out in front by five points, the Mountaineers responded with a 7-0 run. Each of the final four shots leading to the first media break resulted in a lead change, a trend that continued throughout the game. Toledo forced App State to adapt to their style of play but the Mountaineers’ 76 percent field goal shooting proved the home side was up to the task. And yet, despite App State’s impressive shooting clip, the Rockets took a 47-46 lead into halftime.

Both sides kept their foot on the gas pedal through the first six minutes of the second period. The Rockets went on a scoring tear through the second media timeout, cashing in on 12 of 14 shots approaching the “under-eight minutes” media timeout.

The App State fans looked on, nervously. With an 11-point lead, Toledo looked to upset the hometown favorites. After a period of back-and-forth scoring that saw the Mountaineers come back to within nine points, App State evened the game via a 9-0 run over the final 90 seconds of regulation. So, with the score knotted at 90-90, at least one five-minute overtime period was required to decide the victor.

“Winning is hard”

Overtime opened with a quick, step-back jumper from Myles Tate, but the Rockets’ Tyler Cochran responded with a midrange make of his own. Toledo eventually went on a 5-0 run to take a three-point advantage before Donovan Gregory cashed in on a floater while drawing a foul — and he knocked down the resulting “and-one” opportunity. Following a quick transition layup from Jordan Marsh, Toledo’s Sonny Wilson converted on a jumper to tie the game at 99. Gregory drew a foul with two seconds on the clock, but missed both free-throws, sending the game to a second overtime period.

What proved to be the final, five minutes of OT began with Justin Abson’s sixth block of the afternoon, setting the tone for the final minutes. Toledo took a 104-103 lead, but App State finished the extra minutes with a 6-0 run to complete one of the most exciting, memorable games to be played at the Holmes Center.

App State head coach Dustin Kerns was complimentary of Toledo’s program postgame.

“It was just an awesome college basketball game between two really good teams,” Kerns said. “You know, Toledo has won their league three straight years, they’re one of the best programs. They’re a program that we try to model ourselves after.”

The Mountaineers’ victory marked their 20th on the 2023-24 campaign, their first time reaching that milestone since the 2009-10 season. Kerns spoke on what that means to the team, but explained that their work isn’t finished.

“I think it’s a big deal because we did it on Feb. 10,” Kerns said. “You know, I think that’s a big deal. There’s a month left in the season, so we’ve got to keep going. We’ve got to stay hungry for more but I think to get 20 wins sometimes comes in the last week of the season. Winning is hard.”

Kerns tested different player combinations and defensive schemes against an unfamiliar opponent. He settled on a look with four guards, led by freshman Jordan Marsh, to keep up with Toledo’s fast-paced offense. Kerns shared his perspective on the different looks the Mountaineers employed early in the first half.

“Jordan gave us a big spark,” Kerns said. “You know, certainly Xavion [Brown] and Tre’Von [Spillers] did not have their best game, but that’s part of the strength of our team. Everybody’s human, everybody’s not gonna (always) play their best game, but somebody else can step up.”

“we’ve won in different ways this year”

App State was forced to do something they haven’t had to do through the majority of the season — keep up with a high-powered offense. Kerns focused on his team’s ability to adapt to a different style of play than they’ve been used to. At times, Kerns said, Toledo used schemes that were not seen on film in preparing for this tilt.

“Fortunately, we’ve won in different ways this year,” Kerns said. “We’ve won ‘grind it out’ games, like James Madison, 59-55 (Jan. 13). We’ve won a shootout and that could keep going. We’ve found different ways to win games.”

As a team, App State made 61 percent of their shots from the field, compared to Toledo’s 49 percent clip. The Rockets outrebounded the Mountaineers, 37-36, led by 12 offensive boards. App State’s biggest advantage came from bench scoring as the Mountaineers’ reserves scored 50 points, compared to Toledo’s 14 points off substitutions. The double-overtime thriller saw 17 lead changes, with 16 different ties throughout the afternoon.

With the loss, Toledo falls to 15-9 on the season. The Rockets return to MAC action Feb. 16, as they travel home for an in-state matchup with Ohio University. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m., and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.

App State’s win puts them back into the win column following a loss at Texas State Feb. 7. The Mountaineers look to remain perfect at the Holmes Center Feb. 15, as they play host to Marshall. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m., and can be streamed on ESPN+.

Key Individual Performances

• APP – Donovan Gregory: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal
• APP – Myles Tate: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
• APP – Terence Harcum: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
• APP – Jordan Marsh: 17 points, 4 assists, 3 steals
• APP – C J Huntley: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
• APP – Justin Abson: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, 3 steals
• TOL – Dan Maddox, Jr.: 25 points, 5 assists, 2 steals
• TOL – Sonny Wilson: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal
• TOL – Tyler Cochran: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal
• TOL – Ra’heim Moss: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 steals
• TOL – Javan Simmons: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
• TOL – Andre Lorentsson: 10 points

Team Comparisons

Game stats courtesy of StatBroadcast.com