By Zach Smith. STATESBORO, Ga. — An old saying suggests, “You get what you pay for.” The 2,412 fans in Hanner Fieldhouse on Feb. 3 got that and more: an overtime thriller of a basketball game that saw visiting Appalachian State outlast Georgia Southern, 85-84.
Mountaineer guard Terence Harcum once again led his team’s offensive production. His 26 points — the most points scored by a Mountaineer this season — propelled App State past the Eagles in this heated rivalry that dates back to when both were members of the Southern Conference.
But Harcum was far from alone in App State’s offensive output. Sophomore Justin Abson netted a career high 20 points to go along with four critical blocks on the defensive end. Meanwhile, junior forward Tre’Von Spillers posted his sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Myles Tate dished out a team-best five assists.
Justin Abson netted a career high 20 points to go along with four critical blocks.
Georgia Southern was led by a 24-point performance from Tyren Moore, while Avantae Parker cashed in on a career-best 19 points.
Both sides traded jabs through the first 10 minutes of the game, though App State held a narrow advantage. The visitors’ edge didn’t last long as the Eagles went on a 16-2 tear to take a game-high, 9-point lead. The Mountaineers clawed back thanks to consecutive three-pointers by Tate. Georgia Southern countered with two buckets late in the half to take a six-point advantage into the locker room at intermission.
No. 9? No. 9? No. 9?
The second half was a game of runs. Following early, back-and-forth scoring that resulted in another Georgia Southern nine-point lead, App State went on a 9-0 run of its own. The Eagles countered with still another 9-point streak but the Mountaineers followed that up with yet another — you guessed it — run of nine consecutive points.
Timely three-pointers from Harcum and junior forward Christopher Mantis punctuated each of App State’s runs. With just 24 seconds remaining in regulation, the Mountaineers took their first lead since the 7:47 mark of the first half. With the game on the line, GSU’s Parker nailed a driving layup to tie the game and send the contest into overtime.
The bonus minutes were just as exciting as the 40 minutes of regulation. Abson notched his career-best 18th point to open the overtime period, then Parker responded for the Eagles with two baskets in the paint to put Georgia Southern back on top. Both sides converted dueling layups before Parker once again stepped up, this time cashing in on his lone shot from beyond the arc to give the Eagles a 83-80 lead with 59 seconds on the clock. Harcum followed up with his most important three points of the night, draining his fifth deep-ball of the afternoon.
With less than 30 seconds, each possession seemed to last a lifetime, fans of both sides holding their breath. Georgia Southern’s Eugene Brown III drove to the rim and drew what proved to be a critical foul. He converted on only one of his two shots from the charity stripe, giving the Mountaineers a chance to take a late lead. With just nine seconds on the clock, fifth-year forward Donovan Gregory drove to the rim, scoring on a layup to put App State ahead by one. Following timeouts by both head coaches, Georgia Southern had one final chance with just four seconds remaining. Parker attacked the rim, but a dramatic block by Abson sealed the victory for the Mountaineers.
Despite their late stand, App State struggled defensively for the majority of the afternoon. Georgia Southern shot at an impressive 53 percent clip, besting the Mountaineers’ 48 percent mark. App State won the rebounding battle, 42-34, including 18 offensive boards leading to 21 second-chance points. The Mountaineers led just over 14 minutes, compared to the Eagles’ nearly 24 minutes in the driver’s seat.
With the loss, Georgia Southern falls to 5-18 overall, with a 5-6 Sun Belt record. The Eagles look to rebound Wednesday (Feb. 7) as they travel to face South Alabama. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
App State’s eighth consecutive win makes them the only D-I program to have multiple 8+ game win streaks this season, becoming the first Sun Belt team to reach 10 conference wins in the process. The Mountaineers cap their three-game road trip with a visit to Texas State on Feb. 7. Tipoff is 8 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
