By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State women’s basketball team posted a 97-43 victory over Columbia College to open play in the Holmes Convocation Center on Nov. 6, marking Alaura Sharp’s first win as head coach for the Mountaineers.
All 14 Mountaineers scored against the Koalas, with four registering double-figures. Senior J’Mani Ingram netted 18 points. Fellow senior Mara Neira netted 16 points, accounting for four of the Mountaineers’ eight treys. Tallying a career-high 15 points on the night was senior Zada Porter, who sank 6-of-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from the line. Junior Seneya Martinez posted 11 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Fellow junior Elena Pericic pulled down six rebounds. Senior Asjah Inniss dished out a team-high five assists. Martinez, Neira, senior Emily Carver, and freshman Hekla Nökkvadóttir combined for eight of App State’s 13 steals, each contributing a pair.
All 14 Mountaineers scored against the Koalas
The Mountaineers controlled the lead for the duration of the game and tallied 32 points off turnovers compared to Columbia’s six. App State also saw 49 points off the bench and 58 points in the paint. The Black and Gold recorded 17 fastbreak points to Columbia’s two. The Black and Gold held Columbia College under 10 points in three of four quarters. The Mountaineers also caused 25 Koala turnovers.
The Mountaineers set to work in the first quarter, holding the Koalas to a mere six points. App State started things off with a 4-0 lead after an early free throw from Zoë McCrary and a 3-point bucket from Carver. Neira contributed eight points, draining a pair of treys in addition to sinking a layup. Ingram went 3-for-3 from the field for six points in the quarter. The Mountaineers netted 15 unanswered points by the close of the quarter.
Columbia only scored nine points in the third and fourth quarters, combined.
Porter opened the second quarter with a layup, which she promptly followed with a jumper to extend App State’s score to 28-9. Inniss made a layup and completed the three-point play with a free throw to keep the Mountaineers ahead 33-14. The Mountaineers went on a 10-0 scoring run over 2:22 to extend the lead to 40-14. App State closed out the quarter, 50-25, after a pair of free throws from Martinez, a trey from Neira, and a layup from Porter, assisted by Inniss.
The Mountaineers held the Koalas to nine points in both the third and the fourth quarters. Neira opened the third quarter with a 3-point bucket, extending App State’s lead to 53-25. Over the course of the period, the Mountaineers went on a 15-point run, which included layups from Neira, McCrary, Carver, Porter, as well a free throw from senior Georgia Gray, and was capped with a trey from junior Emily Hege. The Mountaineers capped the third quarter, 78-34 after a pair of freebies from Ingram.
In the fourth quarter, Ingram recorded eight of the Mountaineers 19 points, draining 4-of-5 from the field. Hege and Martinez managed to break away from layups in the paint to bring the Mountaineers to a 93-41 lead. Senior Samantha LaFon made the Mountaineers’ final layup as App State sealed the win, 97-43.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will head to Greensboro, N.C. to take on UNC Greensboro on Nov. 16. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
