Author: Zach Smith

By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — Following a break in Sun Belt action for a double-overtime win over Toledo, App State returned to conference play Feb. 15 in their matchup with Marshall. The Mountaineers earned a quality win over the visiting Thundering Herd, 73-58.

Fifth-year forward Donovan Gregory, who led the way for App State with 19 points, was one of three Mountaineers to score in double digits. Junior forward Tre’Von Spillers (14) and junior guard Myles Tate (12) also reached double figures. Spillers added on a season-high 14 rebounds to notch his seventh double-double of the season. Tate dished out a game-best five assists.

Marshall was led by a 19-point Kevon Voyles performance, while Jacob Conner and Kamdyn Curfman netted 11 each to round out the Herd’s top scorers. Nate Martin posted team-highs in rebounds (12) and assists (5).

The first half proved to be a game of runs. Following five alternating makes in the paint, App State went on a 12-2 streak to take a nine-point lead. Marshall snapped that streak by scoring 11 of the next 13 points to tie the game, but back-to-back three-pointers put the Mountaineers ahead by six at the final media break of the half. App State didn’t hit on a shot from the floor over the final three minutes to the buzzer, and Marshall brought the game to within two points entering intermission.

The home side showed off their endurance in the second period. The Thundering Herd kept the game within a point early, but App State allowed just four made shots over the final ten minutes of action. The Mountaineers kept their unblemished record at the Holmes Center intact, remaining the only unbeaten Sun Belt team at home this season.

App State head coach Dustin Kerns shared his thoughts on the Mountaineers’ victory postgame.

“I just thought it was a really, really solid effort by our guys,” Kerns said. “I thought we had a really good night defensively.”

What we’re doing means a lot to him

Donovan Gregory was the key player for App State in their victory over Marshall. Gregory led the Mountaineers with 19 points while grabbing a season-best six steals on the defensive end. Kerns spoke on Gregory’s performance.

“He was terrific,” Kerns said. “Six steals, 19 points, he was just very efficient. I thought he defended really well, four assists. When it comes to winning time, you know, it means a lot to him. What we’re doing means a lot to him.”

Tre’Von Spillers grabbed 14 rebounds in App State’s Feb. 15 victory, the most he’s pulled in a game in the 2023-24 campaign. Kerns highlighted what Spillers provides his team.

“It’s part of his strength, rebounding the ball,” Kerns said. “He went out there and got 14 [points] and 14 [rebounds]. I also think he’s such a good rebounder that opposing teams are putting an emphasis on keeping him off the glass as well. Proud of him, I thought he had a really good game.”

“Our emphasis this week was on getting back to our identity”

App State seemed to be back to normal following their thrilling, double-overtime win over Toledo Feb. 10. Kerns shared the Mountaineers’ emphasis on getting back to their brand of basketball.

“Our emphasis this week was on getting back to our identity,” Kerns said. “Now, credit Toledo, right? They are one of the top scoring teams in the country. That is kind of the way you gotta beat them, by out-scoring them, right? But we really focused this week on getting back to our identity.”

As a team, App State shot just over 50 percent from the floor, compared to Marshall’s 33 percent clip. The Mountaineers outrebounded the Herd, 38-35, and App State’s bench out-scored Marshall’s reserves, 22-6.

Marshall’s loss drops them to 7-6 in Sun Belt play, good for seventh in the conference standings. The Thundering Herd travels to Conway, SC Feb. 17 for a battle with Coastal Carolina. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.

App State moves to 11-2 in Sun Belt contests with the win. Following Troy’s loss to Arkansas State, the Mountaineers hold sole possession of first place in the conference. App State returns to action Feb. 17, as they play host to Louisiana in a basketball double-header with the women’s team. The game is slated to tipoff at 4:30 p.m., and can be streamed on ESPN+.

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By Zach Smith. ATLANTA, Ga. — App State traveled to Atlanta Thursday night (Feb. 1) looking to extend their win streak to seven games. The Mountaineers were successful, defeating Georgia State, 81-71 — to clinch the team’s third sweep of a Sun Belt Conference opponent.

While junior guard Terence Harcum scored a team-high 22 points for App State, sophomore forward Justin Abson was arguably the Mountaineers’ player of the game. Abson posted a season-high 15 points to go along with a career-best 16 rebounds. Once again, Abson’s dominance in the defensive paint was on display as he blocked seven Panther shots.

Georgia State was led by junior guard Lucas Taylor’s 14-point display, while four other Panthers scored at least 10 points. Jay’Den Turner (13), Leslie Nkereuwem (13), Dwon Odom (10) and Julian Mackey (10) rounded out the Panthers’ scoring effort.

Entering Thursday’s contest, App State had won six games in a row to sit atop the Sun Belt standings and looked to win their ninth conference game on the season. Georgia State looked to stop App State’s streak, aiming to put an end to their own four-game skid.

Neither side had an edge in the first half. Georgia State held a two-point lead over the Mountaineers at the second media timeout, but App State made adjustments at the break. Following a made shot in the paint for both sides, junior forward Christopher Mantis led the Mountaineers to a 8-0 run, scoring all but two of App State’s points in that span. Georgia State wouldn’t give up easily, though, as they later scored the final six points of the period, tying the game at 30 apiece at the halftime buzzer.

App State appeared to be a different team out of the locker room for the second half. The Mountaineers went on a 14-2 run over the first 4:32 of the period. Georgia State never got within seven points over the remaining 15:28, and App State cemented their ninth Sun Belt win of the season.

As a team, the Mountaineers shot at a 44% clip, compared to Georgia State’s 38% mark. App State won the rebound battle, 49-41, and committed just nine fouls to the Panthers’ 16. Anchored by Abson’s presence in the paint, the Mountaineers improved on their NCAA-best 7.0 blocks per game with nine swatted shots.

Georgia State kicked off one of the toughest stretches of their season in the loss to App State. Beginning with Thursday’s contest, the Panthers face each of the top four teams in the Sun Belt over a five-game span. Georgia State’s next matchup is a home battle with second-place Troy. Tipoff is set for Saturday (Feb. 3) at 4:00p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.

App State looks to match their eight game win streak Saturday, as they travel to Statesboro, Ga. for a heated rivalry date with Georgia Southern. The matchup is slated to tipoff at 3:00p.m., and can be streamed on ESPN+.

By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — A crowd of 8,052, the largest since 2009, showed up at the Holmes Center Saturday night (Jan. 27) to witness a battle between two Sun Belt powerhouses. App State once again showed out on national television, defeating James Madison, 82-76.

Entering Saturday’s contest, the Mountaineers and the Dukes sat atop the Sun Belt Conference standings. Both programs boasted impressive, non-conference results, leading to Saturday’s most anticipated home basketball game in recent memory for the Mountaineers. 

it felt like a home court, legit atmosphere

App State hosted a “block party” in front of the third-largest crowd since the Holmes Center opened in 2000. The Mountaineers solidified a reputation as the best shot-blocking team in the country, swatting away 12 shots. Sophomore forward Justin Abson tied the App State record with eight blocks of his own. 

The Mountaineer scoring effort was led by junior forward Tre’Von Spillers. His 21 points, along with Myles Tate’s 10 and 14 each by Donovan Gregory and Terence Harcum, was enough to put the Dukes away. Gregory was the Mountaineers’ top distributor, assisting on six made shots.

Terrence Edwards Jr. led the way for JMU with 25 points, while TJ Bickerstaff (15) and Julien Wooden (8) both surpassed the 1,000 career point milestone. Michael Green III’s five assists was a team-high for the Dukes.

The first two minutes were all JMU. Following Harcum’s opening shot, the Dukes went on a 6-0 run to take an early lead. App State found their stride, though, and six Mountaineers scored on their ensuing 13-1 run. App State’s defense came alive in that stretch, as JMU was unable to convert on a shot from the field over a seven-minute period. Neither team was able to score more than five consecutive points following the opening runs, and App State took an eight-point lead into the locker room.

The second half was dominated by App State’s free-throw shooting. The Mountaineers scored 25 points from the line, more than half of their 46 total points in the final 20 minutes. JMU did try to mount a miraculous late-game comeback, but were only able to get within four points of the Mountaineers. App State was able to put the Dukes away, completing a season sweep of the preseason Sun Belt favorites.

App State head coach Dustin Kerns shared his thoughts on the matchup and atmosphere postgame.

“It was a great college basketball game from two really good teams,” Kerns said. “But, the nation seeing Boone, App State, our atmosphere, you know, from a recruiting standpoint, all of the above.”

Justin Abson, unbelievable

Justin Abson posted an App State program-record eight blocks in the victory over JMU. Kerns gave Abson credit for his performance Saturday night.

“Justin Abson, unbelievable,” Kerns said. “And we had a lot of guys, right? But from a defensive standpoint, protecting the rim, he was just unbelievably outstanding. Eight blocks, and I think he probably altered 10 more.”

Abson shared his perspective on his historic night.

“Honestly, going into the game I wasn’t thinking I was gonna get a lot of blocks,” Abson said. “In the previous game [against JMU] I had four blocks, and I saw the interview where [JMU head coach Mark Byington] said the team needed to emphasize not attacking me. I guess he didn’t do a good enough job and that was the end result.”

Saturday night saw the largest crowd at the Holmes Convocation Center since the Steph Curry-led Davidson visited in 2009. It was the second game to have an attendance of 7,000 or more this season. Kerns shared what he thought was different about the crowd against JMU vs the Mountaineers’ statement win over Auburn in early December.

“I thought tonight was about App State,” Kerns said. “I thought maybe the Auburn game was a little like ‘hey we’ve got Auburn here, big game, let’s go see.’ But I thought that tonight was like, we had people here to see App State play.”

Kerns spoke on what the home court atmosphere meant to him and how it impacted App State’s performance.

“After our pregame meal, which is four hours before the game, I was told there were students outside,” Kerns said. “So I went up there, and it was like 50 or 60, it wasn’t just two or three. That was kind of like a ‘wow’ moment. It was really cool, but I think the energy in the building, our students, our crowd, it felt like a home court, legit atmosphere. Once again, it rose our level, it hurt our opponent tonight, James Madison, but it really felt like a legit home court atmosphere.”

As a team, both sides shot at a 42% clip with six made three-pointers each. App State had the edge from the charity stripe, cashing in on 30 of their 40 free-throw attempts. The Mountaineers’ bench outscored James Madison’s, 22-10, But the Dukes out-rebounded App State, 41-39.

With the loss, JMU falls to a three-way tie for third in the Sun Belt standings. After a perfect non-conference slate, the Dukes have dropped three games to conference foes. Two of those losses have come at the hands of App State. JMU looks to rebound Thursday (Feb. 1), as they play host to Coastal Carolina. Tipoff is set for 7:00p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.

App State finishes their four-game homestand on a six-game win streak. The Mountaineers retain their solo position at the top of the Sun Belt, moving to 8-1 in conference play. App State returns to action Thursday, as they travel to Atlanta for a rematch with Georgia State. The game is slated to tipoff at 7:00p.m., and can be streamed on ESPN+.

By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — Looking to retain their position at the top of the Sun Belt standings, App State battled long-time rival Georgia Southern Thursday night (Jan. 25). The Mountaineers extended their win streak to five games with their victory over the Eagles, 84-74.

The App State scoring effort was led by junior guard Terence Harcum, who posted a season-high 23 points. Harcum was one of four Mountaineers to score double-digit points, joined by Tre’Von Spillers (13), Donovan Gregory (12) and Justin Abson (11). Spillers and Abson tacked on nine rebounds each while freshman guard Jordan Marsh dished out a team-high three assists.

Georgia Southern was led by a 28-point performance from Tyren Moore, while Eugene Brown III grabbed a team-best seven rebounds.

Early in the first half, everything seemed to go in App State’s favor. The Mountaineers scored the game’s first seven points, holding the Eagle scoring effort off through nearly the first three minutes. App State rode Georgia Southern’s shooting struggles to an 11-point lead, but the Eagles weren’t going away easily. Georgia Southern clawed their way back to just a 3-point deficit, but the Mountaineers scored nine consecutive points to extend their advantage to 12. Late in the half, the Eagles went on a 7-0 run of their own, cutting App State’s halftime lead to five points.

With the position we’re in, we’re gonna get everybody’s best shot

The tide seemed to shift in Georgia Southern’s favor to start the second half. App State scored six of the first eight points in the period but the Eagles went on a 15-5 run to take their first lead of the game. Trailing by one point, the Mountaineers found an extra gear. With the crowd becoming more involved by the second, App State responded with another 9-0 run to jump back out in front. Georgia Southern never saw the lead again, and the Mountaineers nested the Eagles to remain undefeated at the Holmes Convocation Center.

App State head coach Dustin Kerns shared his thoughts on the matchup post-game.

“It’s Sun Belt basketball,” Kerns said. “With the position we’re in, we’re gonna get everybody’s best shot, and we certainly got their best shot tonight. Proud of our guys, I thought it was just a hard-fought game.”

[The crowd] just keeps getting bigger and bigger

Thursday’s game saw another large turnout from the App State student section, dubbed the “Mountaineer Menace.” Kerns spoke on what it means to have such a hostile home environment.

“[The crowd] just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Kerns said. “I don’t know what the attendance was tonight here, but it felt like a big crowd. I really thought our students got into it and really willed us to some stops there. It’s great, and it’s helping. I think it’s helping raise the level of our team and it’s hurting our opponents.”

Georgia Southern erased a nine-point deficit to take their first lead of the game in the second half, but App State immediately regained control. Sophomore forward Justin Abson explained what changed for the Mountaineers to jump back out in front.

“Our intensity,” Abson said. “We felt like we were letting up a little bit, so we just had to put our foot on the gas and take the game back over.”

App State’s next matchup is one that’s been circled on the calendar since early this season. With the Mountaineers playing host to the 18-2 James Madison Dukes Saturday (Jan. 27), Abson and Harcum had one message for the fans.

“Pack Holmes, baby.”

As a team, App State hit on 47% of their shots from the field, compared to Georgia Southern’s 45% clip. The Mountaineers held their rivals to just three made three-pointers, none of which came in the second half. App State once again dominated on the glass, out-rebounding the Eagles, 43-35. Those rebounds were highlighted by the Mountaineers’ 16 offensive-boards, leading to 25 second-chance points. App State’s defense also continued to shine, as their nine blocked shots catapulted them to the top of the country in blocks per game.

With the loss, Georgia Southern falls to 4-16, with an even 4-4 record in Sun Belt play. The Eagles look to tally on another victory Saturday, as they travel to face Old Dominion. Tip-off is set for 7:00p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.

App State moves to 16-4 following Thursday’s victory, marking their best 20-game start to a season since the 1988-89 campaign. The Mountaineers’ next test is in front of a nationally-televised audience against James Madison. The battle of the top two teams in the Sun Belt is slated to tip-off at 6:00p.m., and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — Temperatures in Boone were frigid Wednesday (Jan. 17). App State men’s basketball remained hot. The Mountaineers continued their early season campaign, defeating Georgia State, 76-68.

App State was once again led by junior forward Tre’Von Spillers, who posted his fifth double-double of the 2023-24 campaign. Spillers’ 23 points and 13 rebounds were both team-highs, while fellow junior transfer Myles Tate was the key distributor for the Mountaineers, dishing out six assists to go along with his 15 points. Fifth-year forward Donovan Gregory grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds.

Georgia State guards Brenden Tucker and Lucas Taylor each scored 12 points, tied for team-best. Forward Jay’Den Turner pulled 12 rebounds for the Panthers.

Fans of defensive, low-scoring basketball loved the opening five minutes of the game. Following a combined six misses from the field, the first points were scored just under two minutes in, via a dunk by Spillers. The slam was the first of six from the JUCO transfer. Neither team could pull away, though, and the first media break came as the score was just 5-4 in App State’s favor.

“We feel like that’s our identity”

The score remained close for most of the half, until the Mountaineers went on their first of two 7-0 runs in the period with 6:18 remaining. More back-and-forth scoring followed before the home side went on their second run of seven consecutive points. The second run earned the Mountaineers an 11-point lead, their largest of the day. Entering halftime, App State led, 39-30.

Georgia State’s first-half scoring troubles were centered around an abysmal 13% clip from beyond the arc. That changed quickly in the second half, as Turner drained a long-range shot to score the period’s first points. App State was able to extend their lead back to 11, but the Panthers earned the next eight consecutive points to cut the Mountaineer lead to three. Just over 90 seconds later, Turner converted on another three-pointer, tying the game for the first time since the game’s opening bucket. App State was then able to score 11 of the next 14 points to widen the gap to nine points and, following back-to-back Georgia State shots from deep, the Mountaineers put the game away.

App State head coach Dustin Kerns shared his thoughts on his team’s performance, post-game. 

“Really proud of our guys. Hard-fought win against a really good team,” Kerns said. “They’ve been arguably one of the hottest teams in the league and we had to play really, really well to win this game.”

 Kerns gave an insight into how he prepares his team for a more physical matchup.

“We try to be the more physical team. We talk about it all the time,” Kerns said. “We feel that if we play as hard as we can, as physical as we can, we can wear down teams.”

That’s the sign of a really good team.

All nine Mountaineers that saw action against Georgia State recorded at least two points. Kerns spoke on what that means for him, as well how important it is for the team.

“I think that we’ve got nine starters,” Kerns said. “We’ve had that, where we’ve had a couple guys out for certain reasons and, you know, guys step up. Our depth is our strength. Everybody scored, everybody had double-digit minutes, it’s great. That’s a sign of a really good team.”

Defense has been a large part of App State’s success, and played a key role in holding Georgia State off in the closing minutes. Myles Tate spoke on the conversation between Kerns and the players heading into the final stretch of the game.

“Coach Kerns always tells us ‘We’re gonna win the game on defense,’” Tate said. “We keep that in our mind as we go back on the floor and we try to get as many stops as we can. The offense is gonna come because we’ve got good players and we all can make plays. If we can just get stops down the stretch, offense will be easy.”

Kerns echoed that thought and gave credit to his players for shutting Georgia State down in the closing stretch.

“We feel like that’s our identity,” Kerns said. “We held a team that’s been scoring the ball really, really well, they shoot the ball really, really well.”

Despite Georgia State’s three-point shooting turnaround in the second half, App State was able to hold on for the victory. Kerns shared what he spoke to his team about down the stretch.

“One of the things we emphasize is next-play mentality,” Kerns said. “It’s basketball, things are gonna happen. You’re gonna throw the thing out of bounds a few times, you’re gonna miss some shots, but so is the other team. We told them ‘listen, they are gonna make threes, next play mentality. We can’t not play well the next possession because they just made a three.’ That’s one of their strengths, they really shoot the ball really, really well.”

As a team, App State shot 45% from the field, despite their below-average 27% mark from deep. The Mountaineers rode their 17 offensive boards to out-rebound the Panthers, 51-36. App State solidified their position as the third-best shot-blocking team in the country, swatting away seven Georgia State shots.

With the loss, Georgia State falls to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in the Sun Belt. The Panthers look to bounce back Saturday (Jan. 20) as they travel to Statesboro, GA for an in-state matchup with Georgia Southern. Tip-off is set for 3:00p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.

Wednesday’s game marked the first of a four-game homestand for the 14-4 Mountaineers. Coastal Carolina will be the next to attempt to hand App State their first loss at the Holmes Convocation Center Saturday. The game will be the second of an App State basketball doubleheader with the women’s team, and will tip-off at 4:30p.m.. Both of Saturday’s App State matchups can be streamed on ESPN+.