By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It is almost a certainty that the App State women’s basketball team, on Dec. 29, convinced their Arkansas State counterparts that size matters. Taking advantage of a height advantage, the Mountaineers doubled up on the Red Wolves for points in the paint en route to a decisive, 77-62 win in both teams’ Sun Belt Conference season opener.
In front of paid attendance of 604 mostly App State fans and roughly 100 teddy bears, App State started slow but soon got things rolling. A 12-6 run in the final three minutes of the first quarter thrust the Mountaineers into the lead and they never relinquished it.
App State finished the opening stanza with a 22-16 lead and went to their locker room at halftime with a 35-29 advantage. They outscored Arkansas State 24-10 in the third period, which was enough to survive a 3-pointer barrage by the visitors from Jonesboro in the final quarter.
Led by the Mountaineer “bigs” Rylee Moffitt and Elena Pericic, as a team App State outscored the Red Wolves 48-24 in the paint and pulled down 41 rebounds to Arkansas State’s 27. Pericic crashed the boards for a game-high 9 rebound as well as finished the game in double figures scoring, with 10. Moffitt was also in double figures, scoring 9 of her 13 points on the night in the second half while adding 4 rebounds, a block and an assist in coming off the bench.
In addition to the strong inside play, App State proved effective in transition, with 21 fastbreak points. Led by Moffitt, the Mountaineers exhibited greater roster depth, their bench outscoring the Red Wolves’ reserves, 41-34.
On 4-of-9 shooting from behind the arc, guard Mara Neira recorded a team-high 20 points. She also led App State’s disruptive defensive effort, with 4 steals on the night, tying for game-high honors in that department with Arkansas State’s Kyanna Morgan.
The Red Wolves’ starting guard, Kennedi Montue mustered a game-high 21 points but was the visitors’ only player in double figures.
Next up for the Mountaineers is a road trip to the Deep South, facing South Alabama in Mobile, Ala. on Jan. 2 and Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. on Jan. 4. Both are scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern Time tipoffs.
