By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — Emotions ran high in Boone Feb. 7, as App State faced ULM in a foul-riddled game. The Mountaineers defeated the Warhawks on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, 78-71.
App State was led by a 24-point performance by senior guard Faith Alston, while junior Emily Carver netted 15 in her return to Boone since a late-December injury. Fifth-year guard Taylor Lewis nearly posted a double-double, scoring 14 and grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Carver and Alston were key distributors for the Mountaineers, dishing out five and four assists, respectively.
Senior guard Jakayla Johnson was ULM’s top scorer with 21 points, but Daisha Bradford’s 14-point, 10-rebound double-double cemented her spot as the Warhawks’ leader. Fifth-year guard Sania Wells dished out a team-best six assists.
The Mountaineers dominated the first quarter. Following an opening layup from ULM, App State scored each of the next nine points. The Black and Gold held the Warhawks to just four more points in the period, scoring seven of their own in that span. App State took a 10-point lead into the second quarter.
ULM clawed back through the first nine minutes of the second period. The Mountaineers extended their lead to as many as 13 points, but the Warhawks rode two separate 6-0 runs to bring the game within five points. Following a sequence of back-and-forth scoring, App State sophomore Chaé Harris went to the line for two free-throws with nine seconds on the clock, cashing in on one. Harris grabbed her own rebound and drew another foul, this time knocking down both shots from the charity stripe to send the Mountaineers to halftime with another 10-point advantage.
App State extended their lead again in the third stanza, but ULM wouldn’t go away easily. With the Mountaineer lead up to 15 points, the Warhawks went on a 10-0 run – the largest streak of the night – to bring the game back within five. App State earned one point back, entering the final period ahead by six points.
The fourth quarter saw the most foul trouble, as 18 of the 50 total infractions were called in the 10-minute period. ULM graduate guard Lauren Gross scored each of her 10 points in the frame to bring the Warhawks within a single point. The Mountaineers weren’t deterred, though, and cashed in on six-straight free-throws to close out the game with a win. App State earned their 13th all-time win over ULM, remaining undefeated against the Warhawks.
“you guys should really come see these girls play”
App State head coach Angel Elderkin opened her postgame press conference with a plea to App State fans before giving her statement on the game.
“What a great win,” Elderkin said. “What an outstanding win, and, I’m gonna say, there’s four more home games to watch this group. I’m just gonna continue to beg people to come out and see this team play. If you can’t see their heart, feel their heart, tonight it was just on full display.”
Elderkin then shared her thoughts on the Mountaineers’ victory over ULM in a close, tense game.
“Just a great team win,” Elderkin said. “Just really, really excited. Especially when we’ve played a lot of this season without Emily Carver and without Taylor Lewis. To see the way that they’re contributing to this team right now, this is what this game is about. How do you deal with adversity? And this group is showing up, showing it every time we step on to the court.”
App State junior guard Emily Carver saw her first action in the Holmes Center since her lower-body injury in late December. Carver spoke on what her return to basketball in Boone meant for her.
“It feels great,” Carver said. “Just knowing that my teammates have confidence in me every time I step out on the court, even when we were on the road. Knowing that, coming back from an injury, that my teammates are still that confident in me, it feels great to step back out there.”
Elderkin gave her thoughts on what Carver’s return to the lineup means for the team.
“Stability,” Elderkin said. “You know, Emily is a stable player who does her job on both sides of the ball. She also brings just a winning edge and a winning mindset to this group. And just the experience, you know? Emily’s in her third year of playing these Sun Belt games, knowing what it takes. I know, as a coach, just going into these games, having a level of confidence and knowing the toughness that she brings to the table and the team.”
App State’s home matchup against ULM fell on Feb. 7, National Girls and Women in Sports day. COVID senior Taylor Lewis shared how the perception of women’s sports has changed in her time as a collegiate athlete.
“I think this year has been the best year around women’s sports,” Lewis said. “I think we’ve had a lot more fans to come out and I think, for the continuing years and for everybody out there, you guys should really come see these girls play. Emily Carver is a superstar, Faith Alston is one of the best guards in the nation, so, I think women’s sports should be taken more seriously.”
Elderkin shared what it meant to her that women’s sports are becoming more mainstream.
“I have to say, there was a boy’s team behind our bench,” Elderkin said. “They come to our camp. That stuff makes my heart so happy. They’re behind like ‘come on Faith, come on Zada,’ they know our players by name. Our female student-athletes by name. That is special and that just doesn’t happen everywhere.”
Elderkin pointed out that, while women’s sports are gaining more attention, there’s still progress to be made in the High Country.
“Although we’ve come a long way, we’re nowhere near where we need to be” Elderkin said. “Women’s basketball is on the rise. So, Boone, come on, let’s go, let’s start to show these ladies some love.”
As a team, App State shot at a 41 percent clip, compared to ULM’s 37 percent mark. The Mountaineers out-rebounded the Warhawks, 44-35, including 11 offensive boards leading to 11 second-chance points. App State held the lead over ULM for all but 90 seconds.
“How do you deal with adversity?”
Whistles were blown on 50 fouls in the matchup. Those fouls were punctuated by a tense moment with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, resulting in a technical foul each for App State’s Alexis Black and ULM’s Brianna Harris. Warhawk guard Jakayla Johnson also received a technical foul in the contest.
With the loss, the Warhawk’s losing skid extends to three games. ULM looks to bounce back Feb. 10 as they travel to Toledo for the second leg of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
App State moves to 12-11 with a 6-6 Sun Belt record with the victory. The Mountaineers look to continue their winning ways Feb. 10 as they travel to face Western Michigan in the second installment of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. The game is slated to tipoff at 2 p.m., and can be streamed on ESPN+.
