By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. – A renewed regional rivalry was on display at the Holmes Convocation Center on Nov. 29 as the App State men’s basketball team faced off against long-time foe East Tennessee State. Wednesday’s contest marked the 129th all-time meeting between the two schools in a series that dates to 1927. The Mountaineers earned their fourth victory in a row, defeating the Buccaneers, 72-61.
While four Mountaineers scored in double figures, Tre’Von Spillers led the way. The junior JUCO-transfer posted a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Spillers also led both teams in blocks, swatting away four Buccaneer shots. Jordan Marsh (14 points), Myles Tate (12) and Terence Harcum (11) also scored in the double digits.
App State all but dominated the first half by playing suffocating defense. ETSU shot just 21.2% from the field, thanks in large part to six Mountaineer blocks. App State also dominated the boards in the first half as they out-rebounded ETSU, 25-14. The Mountaineers rode a 20-4 run into the break, taking a 42-22 lead to the locker room.
The second half started slow for App State as ETSU opened with a 12-4 run. App State was able to hold the surging Buccaneers off long enough, though, and the Mountaineers eventually put ETSU to bed. App State’s shooting dipped in the second half, but their 40% clip was more than enough to hold the home side’s lead.
I really think it started with the defense for us.
For the game, the Mountaineers shot 52% to ETSU’s 34%. App State out-rebounded the Buccaneers, 40-35.
App State head coach Dustin Kerns gave credit to ETSU after the game.
“Really proud of our team, the way we came out against a really good team. I think Brooks Savage is the right guy for the job at ETSU,” Kerns said. “I think he’s done a really good job. Their team fights. We knew they were going to fight. It’s not the first time they’ve done that, so credit them.”
Kerns was also sure to give a shout out to the crowd, including the “Mountaineer Menace” student section.
“I thought our crowd, our students, were terrific,” Kerns said. “ Really helped us get off to a great start.”
Three of the top four scorers are new additions to the locker room.
Kerns also spoke on what went well for the Mountaineers.
“We made our free throws and we made some really big plays,” Kerns said. “We had some guys in foul trouble, you know, some things just weren’t normal as usual, but we found a way and I’m really proud of our team.”
Three of the top four scorers for App State are new additions in the locker room. Transfers Myles Tate and Tre’Von Spillers joined Jordan Marsh as new Mountaineers to make an impressive mark against ETSU. Kerns spoke on how they’ve impacted the team since arriving in Boone.
“They’re quality people, high character. They come from great families and so they impact the locker room that way,” Kerns said. “But also just on the court, they’ve been great additions. From rebounding, to ball handling, to scoring, to defense, a little bit of everything.”
App State’s defense held solid in the first half, despite some early foul trouble. Kerns credited App State’s ability to limit ETSU’s scoring with setting the tone early.
“I thought we played really good defense,” Kerns said. “I think once we settled down and stopped fouling, we really got out some stops and got out and transitioned. We just really got the tempo of the game where we wanted it. I really thought it just started with the defense for us.”
While ETSU still has a stronghold on the series record over App State, the Mountaineers earned their third-straight victory over the school from Johnson City.
ETSU will round up their road trip when they travel to face Jacksonville State next. Tipoff is Sunday (Dec. 3) at 3:00p.m.
App State’s next matchup is their highly anticipated home contest vs Auburn. The game is set to be only the third sell-out crowd since the Holmes Convocation Center opened in 2000. It will be the first time that App State has hosted a Power 5 conference team since the first game at Holmes vs North Carolina. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 3).
