By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — Shooting woes and turnover troubles plagued App State men’s basketball Nov. 4 in their season opener. The Mountaineers fell to Miami (Ohio) in the first leg of the MAC-Sun Belt challenge, 77-63.
Senior guard Myles Tate was a key contributor for App State, posting team-highs with 21 points and five assists. Junior guard Jamil Muttilib grabbed seven rebounds, leading the Mountaineers despite playing just 17 minutes.
App State took an early lead in the first half, jumping in front by as many as seven points with just over 13 minutes on the clock. Miami (Ohio) clawed their way back over the next six minutes before drawing even. Following a Myles Tate free throw that put the Mountaineers back on top, the RedHawks took the first lead of the night courtesy of an Evan Ipsaro layup. Miami (Ohio) led by one at halftime.
The second half started as well as it could have for App State. Tate drained a go-ahead three-pointer 30 seconds into the frame and, following a made jumper by RedHawks forward Antwone Woolfolk to tie the game, redshirt freshman Luke Wilson threw an emphatic dunk to give the Mountaineers the lead for the final time. Miami (Ohio) went on three separate runs of at least five consecutive points to put App State away.
The RedHawks won the shooting battle, posting a 46% clip compared to App State’s 40%. The Mountaineers’ struggles were highlighted by a 28% three-point mark. Miami (Ohio) outrebounded App State, 35-34, while the home side turned the ball over 19 times compared to their MAC opponents’ 14.
App State head coach Dustin Kerns shared his thoughts postgame.
“We’ve got some things to improve on in a lot of areas, but appreciate the fans and the students coming out,” Kerns said. “We’ll be better, it won’t define our season. A lot of ball left, but certainly not our best game. Miami (Ohio) had a lot to do with that, and they deserved to win.”
Myles Tate stepped into a new role after primarily coming off the bench last season. Kerns spoke on his performance with a team-high 21 points.
“We want Myles to be aggressive,” Kerns said. “I feel like Myles is going to be the reason that other people play well.”
App State returns to action Nov. 6 when they host St. Andrews in a doubleheader with the women’s team. The men’s game is slated to tipoff at 7:30p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
