Category: College

By David Rogers. LAFAYETTE, La. — A red hot Louisiana men’s basketball team showed few signs of their early 2024 season struggles on Dec. 18, jumping out to as much as an 18-point first half lead over a cold-shooting Appalachian State squad. Despite an 8-minute scoring drought midway through the second half, the Ragin’ Cajuns survived the Mountaineers’ late rally to hold on to a 68-62 win in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams.

In most years, outside observers would expect more from the Mountaineers in defending their regular season Sun Belt championship from a year ago — but this is 2024-25 with the transfer portal having a clear impact on all things college athletics. App State only returned two of its 12 primary rotation players from a year ago so has rebuilt almost the entire roster. Louisiana lost some players to graduation and added a couple through the portal, too, but at first glance there was a little more roster consistency coming into this season.

In App State’s first game at Lafayette’s Cajundome since March 3, 2019 (when the Mountaineers pulled off a 90-80 road win), the High Country hoopsters could hardly buy a bucket. Thanks to some late first half production in the paint, App State managed 30.4 percent in shooting from the field (7-of-23), but hit nothing in the opening stanza from behind the arc (0-for-7) and hit only 7-of-13 shots from the charity stripe (53.8 percent).

By intermission, the hot-shooting Ragin’ Cajuns held a dominant, 14-point lead, 35-21, thanks in large part to a solid defensive effort by the home team.

Where App State seemed to gain ground was after shifting to a 1-3-1 zone defense that appeared to disrupt Louisiana’s rhythm. That seemed to be the case late in the first half as well as in the second half.

Cajun starting guard Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, a junior from Morocco, missed his last five shots on the night but still tied App State’s Dior Conners for game-high scoring honors, with 15. Along with guard Kentre Garnett, the Moroccan native was good on critical free throws down the stretch to keep the Mountaineers at bay. Garnett was 4-for-4 on the night from behind the free thrown line, Moutaouakkil was 7-of-9. The latter was also second on the team in rebounding, with eight boards.

Louisiana was led in the rebounding department by Kyren Ratliff, with 10 rebounds to go with 10 points, the night’s only double-double on either team.

The Mountaineers did finish with three players in double figures, scoring. Conners recorded 15, while Myles Tate added 10 and C J Huntley contributed 11 points.

Noteworthy Team Stat Comparisons

• 3-point shooting: APP 22% (4-18); ULL 38% (13-17)
• Free throw shooting: APP 62% (18-29); ULL 76% (13-17)
• Bench points: APP 16, ULL 22
• Total rebounds: APP 31, ULL 36

Now 6-5 overall, 0-1 in Sun Belt play, App State travels to North Texas for a Dec. 20 non-conference tilt, then does not play again until Jan. 2, when the Mountaineers host Troy in their Sun Belt home opener and the first of a 4-game home stand. They host Texas State on Jan. 4, Coastal Carolina on Jan. 8, and James Madison on Jan. 11.

The win improves Louisiana’s record to 3-9 overall, 1-0 in Sun Belt. Next time out, the Ragin’ Cajuns host McNeese State (non-conference) on Dec. 22, then travel to Coastal Carolina for their next Sun Belt game on Jan. 2.

 

 

 

 

By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — A respected offensive play-caller at both the NFL and college levels, Dowell Loggains has been chosen as the next head coach of App State Football, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin announced Saturday.

Loggains (pronounced LOG-ans), 44, is the 23rd head football coach in program history. His five-year contract, which runs through the 2029 season, was approved Saturday afternoon by Interim Chancellor Heather Norris and the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees.

Most recently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the top-15 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, Loggains will be formally introduced Monday during a noon press conference at Kidd Brewer Stadium’s Grandview Ballroom that is open to the public and will also be streamed live on App State Football’s YouTube, Facebook and X pages.

“We have a longstanding and proud football tradition at App State, with a national reputation for excellence and success on and off the field,” Norris said. “App State has one of the nation’s best home-field advantages, as well as a strong academic record. I’d like to thank Doug Gillin for his leadership and his work to quickly hire a new head football coach. We are looking forward to Dowell becoming a Mountaineer.”

“We are very excited for Dowell Loggains to be the next leader of App State Football and to welcome him, his wife, Beth, and their children, Reese, Aven, Connor and Ryne, to the App Family,” Gillin said. “He brings experience as a leader and play-caller at the highest levels of professional and college football. He is a great recruiter and believes strongly in building relationships. He is aligned with our core values of academic integrity, competitive excellence, social responsibility and world-class experience. This is a great day for App State.”

Season tickets for the 2025 App State football season will go on sale soon.

Before serving as South Carolina’s offensive coordinator the last two seasons, Loggains was an assistant for two years at his alma mater, Arkansas, after spending 16 years in the NFL (2005-20) with time as an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach for the Tennessee Titans (2010-13), Cleveland Browns (2014), Chicago Bears (2015-17), Miami Dolphins (2018) and New York Jets (2019-20).

“My family and I are thrilled to join the Mountaineer family and build on the rich championship tradition of App State Football,” Loggains said. “Thank you to the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Norris, Doug Gillin, and all of App Nation for this incredible opportunity to lead such a storied program. We are eager to become part of the community, engage with the student-athletes and fans, and give our all for App State.”

Loggains’ offense this season has helped the Gamecocks reach the brink of the College Football Playoff with a 9-3 record that includes wins over Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Missouri and Clemson. South Carolina has the third-best rushing offense in the SEC at 188.9 yards per game while ranking top 50 in the country in scoring, yardage, rushing, first downs and completion percentage.

He has developed redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers into one of college football’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. Sellers has thrown for 2,274 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions while also rushing for 655 yards and seven scores against one of the country’s toughest schedules. He ranks 20th nationally in passing efficiency, 14th in yards per attempt, 25th in yards per completion, 28th in total offense and 35th in completion percentage. Loggains has also found success utilizing Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, one of the SEC’s best running backs, to form a dynamic rushing attack.

In his first season in Columbia, Loggains turned future NFL quarterback Spencer Rattler and a future NFL first-round draft pick, wide receiver Xavier Legette, into one of the most lethal pass-and-catch combinations in the country.

Loggains spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the Arkansas Razorbacks’ tight ends coach, earning a reputation as a top-25 national recruiter there.

During his decade-plus as an NFL coordinator and quarterbacks coach, he mentored the likes of Sam Darnold, Jay Cutler, Mitchell Trubisky, Brian Hoyer and Vince Young at QB, as well as running backs Kenyan Drake, Jordan Howard and Chris Johnson.

Loggains graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2003 and a master’s degree in education in 2005. He walked on to the Razorback football program in 2000 as a quarterback and holder before earning a scholarship and becoming a four-year letterman, appearing in 50 games.

Loggains and his wife, Beth, have four children: daughters Reese, Aven and Connor, and son, Ryne.

LOGGAINS AT A GLANCE

Coaching Experience

• 2005: Dallas Cowboys (Scouting assistant)
• 2006-07: Tennessee Titans (Coaching administrative assistant)
• 2008-09: Tennessee Titans (Quality control)
• 2010-12: Tennessee Titans (Passing game coordinator/QBs)
• 2013: Tennessee Titans (Offensive coordinator)
• 2014: Cleveland Browns (QBs)
• 2015-17: Chicago Bears (Offensive coordinator/QBs)
• 2018: Miami Dolphins (Offensive coordinator)
• 2019-20: New York Jets (Offensive coordinator/QBs)
• 2021-22: Arkansas (Tight ends)
• 2023-24: South Carolina (Offensive coordinator/QBs)

Bowls Coached

• 2021: Outback
• 2022: Liberty

Playing Experience

• 2000-04: Arkansas (Quarterback/holder)

Alma Mater: Arkansas, 2003

Hometown: Newport, Ark.
Wife: Beth
Children: Reese, Aven, Connor, Ryne

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — App State men’s basketball stampeded past the Mid-Atlantic Christian University Mustangs on Dec. 3, 85-43. The mismatch against the small, Elizabeth City, N.C. private school provided the Mountaineers with ample opportunities to refine some individual and team skills while giving head coach Dustin Kerns an opportunity to see different combinations of players on the floor against an otherwise scrappy opponent.

Fourteen different Mountaineers saw at least six minutes of playing time, with the usual second tier of rotation players seeing the most opportunities on the hardwoods.

 

Alonzo Dodd poured in a game-high 19 in his almost 25 minutes on the court. Center Luke Wilson dominated inside play in recording 17 points to go along with 7 rebounds in just over 18 minutes of playing time. Starter C J Huntley only saw the court for a little more than seven minutes but certainly made the best of it as App State’s third player in double figures, with 14 points.

It was a special opportunity for teammates Huntley, Jackson Threadgill and Will Coble, who played high school basketball together at Davidson Day, as all three started against the Mustangs.

Point guard Myles Tate swooped down the lane for the Mountaineers’ first points of the night, just 19 seconds after Huntley won the tipoff. Coble followed with a 3-pointer and Huntley added consecutive “up and ins” with the game not even 90 seconds old, extending the App State lead to 9-0 — and prompting the Mustangs to call a timeout to gather themselves.

Although MACU was the next to score, the Mountaineers kept pouring it on, leading by 25 points by halftime. In a little less than 9 minutes on the court, Tate only scored four points, but was credited with 7 assists as he kept feeding his teammates.

Forward Michael Marcus, Jr. came off the bench to collect 10 rebounds and make two blocks to accompany his three points, two assists and a steal.

App State now has 10 days off to allow the student athletes to prepare and sit for exams before playing against High Point on Dec. 14, in Greensboro, at 2 p.m., in the Novant Health Fieldhouse at the Greensboro Complex.

They have two other road games before Christmas, opening Sun Belt Conference play at Louisiana, in Lafayette, La., on Dec. 18 (8 p.m. ET), then two days later in Denton, Texas, to face North Texas on Dec. 20, 8 p.m. ET). They will be at home on Jan. 2 to face Troy in another Sun Belt Conference encounter.

By Joey Jones. BOONE, N.C. — App State Director of Athletics Doug Gillin announced Monday that football head coach Shawn Clark has been released from his contract following his fifth full season at the helm of the Mountaineers’ program.

“I want to thank Shawn for all he has done for the App State football program,” Gillin said. “Shawn is a true Mountaineer. He has given his heart and soul to his alma mater. He has navigated numerous challenges in his tenure and done so with class and integrity. This was a difficult decision, but after an evaluation of the program, we decided to make the change now.

“The expectation for App State Football is to annually compete for a conference championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. We have commenced a national search to quickly find the next leader for App State Football. Mountaineer fans are among the most passionate in the country, and we are committed to providing a football program that builds upon the decades of previous championship tradition.”

By Jacob Plecker. WILMINGTON, N.C. — In the finale of the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic, the App State Mountaineers (5-3) fell to the tournament host UNC-Wilmington (5-2), 61-76 on Saturday.

Regardless of the result, the Mountaineers finished the tournament 2-1 and defeated two NCAA Division I programs (Sam Houston and Colgate) that won their respective conference regular-season championships a season ago.

Jalil Beaubrun and Alonzo Dodd posted their best games in a Mountaineer uniform against UNCW, tallying 16 and 11 point,s respectively. Beaubrun also recorded the Mountaineers’ third double-double of the year, and his first as a Mountaineer, adding a season-best 11 rebounds. Dodd, who had been held scoreless in each of his last three outings, also tallied a season-best, on 4-of-5 shooting.

On the heels of two physical contests that opened the tournament, the Mountaineers struggled on the offensive glass against UNCW as the Seahawks grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and turned them into 15 second-chance points. Additionally, the Mountaineers couldn’t get anything going from deep, making just two 3-pointers on 17 attempts from behind the arc.

How it Happened

The finale was a tightly contested ball game, the lead changeing hands six times in the first five minutes. The Seahawks opened the scoring with a Donovan Newby 3-pointer, but the Mountaineers took their first lead at 5-4 off a CJ Huntley hook shot with 17:22 in the first half.

UNCW quickly regained the lead thanks to a Khamari McGriff jumper but Huntley answered right back, throwing down a two-handed dunk off a slick alley-oop pass from Myles Tate. A play later, Huntley was at it again, viciously slamming home a dunk over a Seahawk defender to put the Mountaineers ahead 8-7. Huntley accounted for six of the first eight Mountaineer points.

The Seahawks scored a basket just before the first media stoppage in the first half and never trailed again. Nolan Hodge, who tallied a season-best 15 points against App State, kicked off his night with a layup and Harlan Obioha converted on an “and-one” chance to put UNCW ahead by four at the 14:52 mark.

App State kept it close in the first half as Jackson Threadgill scored his first points of the game to keep the Mountaineer deficit at just two. Then, it was Huntley who nailed a hook shot to make it 14-12 in the first half. But the Seahawks scored the game’s next four points to take a six-point lead into the under-12 break.

As play crept under the 10-minute mark before intermission, it was still a close contest as the two teams traded baskets. Dodd got his season-best night started with a three from the right wing to bring the Mountaineers back within two points. The Seahawks answered with a three to go back ahead by five, but Beaubrun stuck with a missed Mountaineer shot and put back a layup to bring the score within three with eight minutes to play in the opening stanza.

A Tate three at the 4:41 mark of the first half brought the Seahawks’ advantage back down to three, but the home team answered by scoring eight of the game’s next 10 points to take an 11-point lead into halftime. Huntley, Tate and Beaubrun accounted for 28 of App State’s 33 points in the first half. UNCW shot it well in the opening stanza, making 53 percent of their shot attempts while also grabbing seven offensive rebounds.

Out of the break, the Seahawks scored six consecutive points to build their lead to 16 with 18 minutes to go. Two straight 3-pointers from Sean Moore rang the net as UNCW extended its lead.

Huntley ended the run with a free throw, but the UNCW advantage shot to 19 points after the under-16 timeout thanks to another 3-pointer. The Mountaineer deficit sank to 20 after a fourth second-half Seahawk three hit the net. App State struggled after halftime, missing five of its first six shots while turning the ball over three times.

After going ahead by 22 with 13:27 to play, UNCW endured a shooting drought which gave the Mountaineers a chance to mount a comeback. The Mountaineers found some momentum and cut into the deficit, scoring eight of the game’s next nine points to trim the UNCW lead back to 13 points with eight minutes left in regulation. The Seahawks ended their drought with a back-breaking 3-pointer from Josh Corbin at the shot-clock buzzer to jump back ahead by 16 at the under-eight minutes timeout.

Unfazed by the last-second shot, App State continued to work and trimmed the UNCW lead down to 12 by the 7:38 mark, which was the closest the game had gotten since halftime. Beaubrun cracked double figures with a layup and Dodd sank a pair of free throws to get it to that point.

Keeping the pressure on, App State forced two fouls to stop the clock, giving the Mountaineers a chance to score at the free-throw line. With the Seahawks now ahead by 13 with five minutes to go, the Mountaineers forced a stop on the defensive end and trimmed their deficit down to just 11 points thanks to a fastbreak dunk by Huntley. But it was another shot by McGriff late in the shot clock that halted any more momentum as the Seahawks went ahead by 15 by the final media stoppage.

The Seahawks continued to score at the free-throw line and eventually closed out the game with a 15-point victory. App State finished 2-1 at the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic and has won four of its last five games at in-season, mutli-team events.

Top Performers

CJ Huntley paced all scorers in the final game of the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic, scoring 17 points. He was aggressive to start the game, tallying 11 of those points in the first half, and now needs just 45 points to eclipse 1,000 in his Mountaineer career. Jalil Beaubrun was stellar against the Seahawks, recording his sixth career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Beaubrun was also a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe. Alonzo Dodd was the third Mountaineer to reach double figures against UNCW, tallying a season-best 11.

Up Next

App State will return home to begin the month of December as it hosts the Mid-Atlantic Christian Mustangs on Tuesday. Dec. 3. The matchup with the Mustangs will be the Mountaineers’ only home game of December. After that game, the Mountaineers will not play a game at the Holmes Center until Jan. 2, 2025. Tipoff from the Holmes Center is slated for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Senior guard Emily Carver caught fire in the second half, scoring 17 of her 27 points in third quarter on Nov. 27 vs. Gardner-Webb, leading the Mountaineers past the Bulldogs, 82-64, at the Holmes Convocation Center on Senior Night.

Not to take anything away from Carver’s performance, but it was the return of senior guard Eleyana Tafisi in a first quarter cameo performance that provided the spark for the Mountaineers. With the Bulldogs ahead by nine points and the seconds ticking down on the first quarter, the Mountaineers’ senior transfer from Utah Valley University threaded her way down the lane through traffic, drawing a foul and sinking two free throws to narrow the deficit.

Tafisi’s appearance helped stem the tide of 3-pointers that widened the Q1 lead for the Bulldogs, their starting guard Elle Blatchford making 2-of-3 from behind the arc and team scoring leader Ashley Hawkins adding 1-of-2 from long distance. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers shot a dismal 2-of-16 from the field in the first quarter, including going 0-for-7 from behind the 3-point line.

There is no question that Tafisi brought energy, and it continued into the second quarter as App State whittled the deficit down. Fittingly, it was Tafisi’s 3-pointer with 3:45 to go in the half that put the Mountaineers ahead for the first time since the opening seconds of the ball game.

After the game, App State head coach Alaura Sharp told reporters that she had considered playing Tafisi in the Nov. 24 game vs. Richmond, but ultimately decided against it. The senior guard’s official release date from the earlier injury was Dec. 1.

“When I told Eleyana that I was going to play her for a few minutes tonight, she was very excited,” said Sharp.

Those few minutes turned into 15 total minutes for the game. From a cause and effect standpoint, Tafisi was a difference maker, the team registering a +23 during her time on the court, a team-high. While she scored only seven of those points, personally, her energy lifted the performance of everyone around her, including Carver, who buried 4-of-7 attempts from behind the arc.

Although Hawkins sunk a couple of free throws to tie the game at halftime, 35-35, the Mountaineers had the spark they needed. Behind 10 points by Carver and a pair of layups from Asjah Inniss and Zada Porter, along with pressing defense that stifled any Bulldog response, App State jumped out to a 14-point lead in just the first three minutes of the third quarter — and they kept building on it, leading by as many as 18 points in Q3 and 23 points in Q4.

Starting guard J’Mani Ingram, who transferred to App State from Pearl River Community College for the 2023-24 season, recorded 14 points on the night, most from inside the paint. Porter, also one of the nine seniors on the Mountaineer roster, was the third Mountaineer in double figures, scoring 10 points, but had one of the most impressive stat lines of any player on the night with 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and one block in her 19 minutes on the floor. Included in those points: 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe.

Junior forward Rylan Moffitt, a transfer last year from Daytona State and the Mountaineers’ top rebounder in 2023-34, was in form again with a team-high 9 rebounds to go along with 6 points and 2 assists in her 24 minutes off the bench.

Now 3-3, the Mountaineers’ next challenge is Dec. 1 at Vanderbilt (7-1), with an impressive win in Palm Springs, Calif. vs. Arizona on Nov. 26, 71-60, before a loss the next day to Michigan State, 78-70, in the same Acrisure Classic tournament.

By David Rogers. WILMINGTON, N.C. — This time, Myles Tate took the shot — and it was a game-winner, too.

Just three days after the App State redshirt senior earned a winning assist on a play designed for him to take the last shot — but didn’t — he took the shot that put the Mountaineers ahead, 64-63, with 24 seconds remaining against Sam Houston State on Nov. 27. It was a lead they would never relinquish. Including two late free throws made by forward Jalil Beaubrun and stellar defensive play, the Mountaineers won the day, 66-63.

Played at Trask Coliseum as the opening game of the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic, a men’s basketball tournament hosted by the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, the game drew 2,519 basketball fans to the 5,200 capacity indoor arena.

At least some of the mid-week, pre-Thanksgiving allure was the matchup dynamics: Sam Houston coming into the game as the No. 44 team in the country in Scoring Offense (out of 355 NCAA Division I programs), averaging 84.6 points per game, vs. App State’s reputation as a tough defensive opponent. Both teams came into the UNCW-hosted matchup with 3-2 records.

By most measures, the Nov. 27 encounter was a defensive battle from start to finish, the lead see-sawing back and forth. The largest lead by either team was five points, App State early at 17-12, and Sam Houston late at 57-52. The lead changed hands 16 times and was tied 11 times during the 40 minutes of playing time.

When the Bearkats’ guard Lamar Wilkerson made a short jumper with five minutes remaining, giving Sam Houston its biggest lead of the afternoon, momentum seemed to have shifted to the Huntsville, Texas-based public university, with an enrollment of more than 20,000 students across 80 degree programs, a school size similar to App State.

But the Mountaineers were far from done. Just over 30 seconds later, Sunday’s buzzer-beating hero against William & Mary, junior guard Dior Conners, drained a 3-pointer to jumpstart App State’s closing, 14-6 run to win the day.

Conners accounted for six of those closing points, including the dagger from behind the arc but also three consecutive free throws when he was fouled by Wilkerson while attempting another 3-pointer.

App State’s improvement at the charity stripe in this game was significant to the outcome. The Mountaineers were successful on 17-of-22 free throw attempts (77 percent), which is a marked improvement over a 59 percent season average that has them in the bottom 10 of the 355 teams in NCAA Division I. In addition to Conners’ sharpshooting from the line in the closing minutes, the Mountaineers’ Beaubrun made the final two free throws to ice the game.

Although Wilkerson recorded a game-high 22 points for the Bearkats, Conners led the Mountaineers with 19 points, closely followed by Tate’s 17 points. Beaubrun pulled down a game-high 9 rebounds.

Aside from improvement at the free throw line, the Mountaineers were 7-of-24 (29 percent) from behind the arc, while limiting the Bearkats to just 3-of-14 made shots from long distance.

With Thanksgiving Day off, App State will play Colgate at noon on Friday, then UNCW in the tournament finale on Saturday. In the other tournament game on Nov. 27, Colgate defeated UNCW, 72-59.

 

 

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Redshirt senior Myles Tate has been a part of many clutch moments in his short basketball career at App State but none more clutch than in the end of the Nov. 24 game vs. William & Mary at the Holmes Convocation Center.

In a play drawn up with 19 seconds left — for Tate to take the final shot — and the game tied 76-76, Tate received the inbounds pass, worked the ball to the top of the 3-point arc, but found himself well-defended. Out of the corner of his eye (with seven seconds remaining), the veteran guard saw teammate Dior Conners open on the left wing.

“It was muscle memory,” said Conners to reporters later, explaining how he had received the pass with two seconds left, got the shot off with 0.2 showing on the clock after the ball had left his hands, then joined the exuberant celebration as the ball ripped through the net for the win, 79-76.

Muscle memory, to be sure, those hours, days and weeks of practicing for just those moments paying off.

It was fitting drama for head coach Dustin Kerns’ 100th win at the helm of the Mountaineer program and the third fastest to get there at 167 games, surpassing Bobby Cremins and Bob Light, who each required 170 games.

Although the Mountaineers led by 19 points, 53-34, with just over 17 and a half minutes remaining in the game and by 17 points with 12:35 left, 58-41, the Tribe battled back to tie the game at 76-all with 19 seconds left, helped by key 3-pointers off the hands of freshman guard from Arizona, Gabe Dorsey, and junior guard from Silver Spring, Md., Kyle Pulliam, complimented by crafty inside play from Noah Collier, a senior forward who transferred from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022.

It was Collier, in fact, who made a shot inside with 19 seconds remaining, to close within a point at 76-75, but was also fouled on the play and drained his third free throw of the evening to tie things up.

It was perhaps fitting that a 3-pointer proved the buzzer-beating difference for the win. The Mountaineers had jumped out to the big early lead in the first half on the strength of 55.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc (10-of-18) before “cooling” to a 45.5 percent clip (5-of-11) in the second half. Conners was a torrid 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from long range for the game while teammate Jamil Muttilib was 4-of-7 (57.1 percent) from 3-point land.

Muttilib is a Houston native and junior transfer from Kilgore College, a small junior college in Kilgore, Texas, averaged 19 points per game for the Rangers.

Conners, an Ohio native, also joined the Mountaineers this year from the junior college ranks, transferring as a junior from Triton College in River Grove, Ill., a western Chicago suburb. He drained 137 career 3-pointers in his two seasons at Triton, while helping the Trojans to a 34-3 record and NJCAA National runner-up finish a year ago.

In speaking with reporters after the game, Kerns said one of the things the coaches had asked of Muttilib and Conners is that the score more, having arrived at App State with those scoring pedigrees.

Kerns also was quick to point out the magnitude of Tate’s selfless moment in passing the ball to an open teammate on a play designed for him to take the shot.

“There are a lot of guys who would have taken the shot anyway,” said Kerns, praising Tate for recognizing the moment, that he was well guarded and trusting his open teammate.

App State finished the game shooting almost 52 percent from long distance against the Tribe, which countered with only a 29 percent clip, 9-of-31, from beyond the arc. Where William & Mary was able to keep it close, though, was a 17-7 point differential in second chance points, hitting on 9-of-10 free throws (90 percent), a 27-17 advantage in points from their bench, and a surprisingly stronger rate of production inside, tallying 40 points in the paint vs. only 18 for the Mountaineers.

Four App State players scored in double figures on the afternoon, including a game-high 20 by Tate, 15 by Conners, 14 from C J Huntley, and 12 from Muttilib. Tate also dished out 10 assists for the first double-double of his App State career. Collier pulled in a game-high 8 rebounds for The Tribe, with Jamil Beaubrun the Mountaineers’ leader on the boards, with 7 rebounds. Jackson Threadgill, Tate, and Michael Marcus, Jr. led the Mountaineers with two steals each.

The Mountaineers’ dismal performance at the free throw line is of concern as the season progresses. Through Nov. 23 games, App State was No. 352 out of 355 NCAA Division I men’s basketball programs, with a free throw percentage of just 57.89 percent, according to statistics maintained and published by the NCAA.

App State (3-2) will spend Thanksgiving in Wilmington, N.C., playing three games beginning with Sam Houston State (3-2) on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 4 p.m.,  in the first game of the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic hosted by UNCW. They return to the UNCW court on Friday, Nov. 29, for a noon encounter with Colgate University (1-4). They close the tournament on Nov. 30, in a 3 p.m. tilt vs. UNCW (3-1).

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Helped by James Madison turnovers and penalties, App State overcame another early deficit to record an emotional, Senior Day win on Nov. 23, 34-20.

The Dukes started the game looking like the 8-2 record they brought to Kidd Brewer Stadium. An 8-play, 74-yard scoring drive on the game’s opening possession and another TD pass near the start of the second quarter put JMU up 14-0, looking too easy for the visitors from Harrisonburg, Va. Couple those with the Mountaineers’ three consecutive punts on its first offensive possessions, including two 3-and-outs, and this one had the makings of a lopsided loss.

But a forced fumble, a turnover on downs and a stellar defensive effort by the Mountaineers to hold James Madison to only another field goal in the second quarter turned the tide for App State. Three TDs plus a field goal by the Mountaineers before halftime gave the 34,012 mostly App State faithful something to cheer about, taking a 24-17 lead into the locker room for intermission.

And each of those second quarter scores had special elements. With 12:19 remaining in the half, placekicker Michael Hughes celebrated his return from injury with a 23-yard field goal. Tight end Eli Wilson, in his first action since being injured earlier in the season, was on the receiving end of a play action flare pass that found the fifth year senior wide open on the right side, punctuated by a high-stepping TD.

And it only got better. As the game clock was winding down before halftime, with the ball at the App State 36 on first down but just 1:23 remaining, senior QB Joey Aguilar dropped back and found wide receiver Makai Jackson racing down the sideline. The junior from Croydon, Pa., gathered the ball in over his right shoulder in stride at the JMU 22 and outsprinted the closest defender the rest of the way for a 64-yard TD completion. It was just the explosive offensive play the Mountaineers needed to get completely untracked, tying the game at 17-17 with another Hughes PAT kick.

Six plays later, after App State’s defense left the Dukes with a 4th-and-8 on their own 39 yard line, Cahari Haynes blocked the punt attempt and Michael Hetzel plucked the loose ball from the ground for a thrilling, “scoop and score” that further energized the AppNation crowd with just 48 seconds remaining before the half.

In a back and forth, mostly defensive second half, the Mountaineers limited James Madison to just one more field goal, an impressive 52-yarder and career long for Noe Ruelas. Also in the second half, App State added another 41-yard field goal by Hughes and an impressive, 10-play TD scoring drive to extend the lead.

On paper, James Madison outgained the Mountaineers in total yards, 400-361, and had possession for 34:05 vs. App State’s 25:55. But where the Mountaineers were 3-3 upon getting into the red zone, JMU was only able to convert on one out of two trips. Mostly, the Dukes fell victim to the early fumble, a late interception, the blocked punt and nine drive-killing penalties for 69 lost yards — while App State was never penalized even a single time.

Looking ahead, the Mountaineers have a Nov. 30 tilt at Georgia Southern. Currently at 5-5, App State needs a win in Statesboro, Ga. in the final regular season game to become bowl eligible.

Post-game notes, courtesy of App State Athletics

• With the victory, App State evened its season record to 5-5 and moved to 3-4 in Sun Belt play. A win at Georgia Southern on Nov. 30 would make the Mountaineers bowl eligible for the ninth time in 10 seasons as a postseason-eligible FBS member.
• This was App State’s 100th win since transitioning to the FBS level in 2014. The only FBS programs with more than 100 wins during that span are Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Boise State and Oregon.
• App State improved to 14-5 all-time against JMU and won for the second straight year. The Mountaineers have a 2-1 edge in the series since both programs moved up to FBS.
• Attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium was 34,012 for the Mountaineers’ final home game of the season. App State’s average home attendance of 34,622 this season is the second-highest average in school and Sun Belt Conference history behind last year’s average of 34,734.
• This was the 11th straight sellout at The Rock dating back to last season, and that includes the Sept. 28 contest that was canceled due to Hurricane Helene.
• The Mountaineers finished the home season with a 4-1 record at The Rock, making it the ninth time in the last 10 seasons with one or fewer home losses.
• App State won on Senior Day at Kidd Brewer Stadium for the 26th time in the last 27 years.
• The Mountaineers’ .838 home winning percentage since 2014 is eighth-best in the FBS behind only Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Oklahoma and Memphis.
• This was the Mountaineers’ second win of the season after trailing by multiple touchdowns. App State rallied from down 14-0 against JMU and down 16-0 against East Carolina to earn 34-20 and 21-19 victories, respectively. The team also trailed ODU by a 17-7 margin before winning that game 28-20.
• App State improved to 20-1 when winning the turnover battle during head coach Shawn Clark’s tenure.
• Special guests at the game included retired NFL star and media personality, Jason Kelce, retired NFL player and App State alum, Daniel Kilgore, and current Tampa Bay Rays pitcher and App State alum, Jeffrey Springs.
• Safety Zyeir Gamble and wide receiver Michael Hetzel earned their first career starts.

OFFENSE

• Quarterback Joey Aguilar went 12-for-23 for 216 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. It was his seventh game this season with multiple touchdown passes and the 18th time in his 24 games as App State’s QB.
• In the first game without leading receiver Kaedin Robinson, Makai Jackson starred with five catches for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown. It was the most receiving yards by a Mountaineer this season and the most since Christan Horn’s 165 yards against Southern Miss last year.
• Ahmani Marshall went over the century mark in rushing yards (108) for the fourth straight game, scoring his fourth touchdown in that span.
• Eli Wilson caught four passes for 32 yards and a touchdown after missing the previous two games with an injury.

DEFENSE

• For the second time in three games, Shawn Collins made a momentum-swinging strip sack. This time he recovered his own forced fumble that gave the ball to the Mountaineers and turned into a touchdown drive that cut the early deficit to 14-10.
• After allowing 14 points in the first 16 minutes of the game, App State’s defense held JMU to just a pair of field goals the rest of the way. The Dukes managed only 135 total yards after halftime.
• App State had four sacks on the day. In addition to Collins, Michael Fletcher had a pair of sacks, and Santana Hopper had one sack among his 2.5 tackles for loss.
• Jason Chambers snagged his first career interception with a big fourth quarter takeaway.
• Linebackers Brendan Harrington and Kyle Arnholt led App State with 11 tackles apiece, matching a career high for Harrington and setting a career high for Arnholt.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Perhaps the biggest play of the day was App State’s first punt block returned for a touchdown since 2019, as Cahari Haynes burst through JMU’s line to block a second-quarter punt that was then knocked around and picked up by Michael Hetzel who carried it into the end zone. It was the Mountaineers’ go-ahead touchdown to completely erase an early 14-0 deficit and take a 24-17 lead into halftime.
• In his return to the field after missing five games due to injury, Michael Hughes connected on a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter and then a 41-yarder in the fourth quarter that was the game’s final score.