By David Rogers. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Appalachian State men’s basketball led Louisville from start to finish — but a tenth of a second more time on the clock and the Mountaineers would have lost. App State survived the video review of what was initially ruled Louisville’s winning basket, the on-court decision reversed to the Mountaineers’ favor, 61-60.

The ultimate result reflected two Division I collegiate basketball programs going in different directions at the start of the 2022-23 season. App State is 3-0 while Louisville is 0-3, although each of the Cardinals losses have been by one point. According to Louisville’s athletics media staff, the 2022-23 Cardinals are the first team since at least 1980 to lose its first three games of the season by one point each. Including last year’s 51-50 season-ending loss to Virginia, the Cardinals are the first team since Stetson in 1981-82 to lose four consecutive one-point games.

After two exhibition games that included a loss to Lenoir-Rhyne (57-47) and a win over Chaminade (80-73), Louisville opened the regular season with losses to Bellarmine (67-66) and Wright State (73-72) before being handed the same fate by Appalachian State on Nov. 15.

With forward Donovan Gregory and guard Tyree Boykin each getting into double figures scoring in just the first half, App State led by 13 at intermission. But 19 points scored in the second half by guard El Ellis helped Louisville close the gap and it was the Durham, N.C. native who drove the lane and laid the ball up and in — releasing the basket-bound ball less than a tenth of a second after the final buzzer had sounded.

The teams matched up fairly well, statistically, except one key number: turnovers. Louisville turned the ball over 18 times in the game, compared to the Mountaineers’ 7 — and App State took advantage, holding a 20-6 advantage in points off turnovers for the full 40 minutes of action. The Mountaineers also held a 34-18 advantage in scoring inside the paint.

Gregory and Boykin finished the game with 16 and 14 points, respectively, and were joined in double figures by Terence Harcum, with 10. Starting forward Tamell Pearson collected 9 rebounds, scored 5 points and added a steal to also make a strong contribution.

The Cardinals trailed 57-45 with 7:01 remaining in the game, but mounted a 15-4 run in almost finishing the game with a one-point win instead of a one-point loss.

Noteworthy (courtesy of App State Sports):

• The Mountaineers’ 3-0 start to the 2022-23 season is the best start since 1997-98.
• The crowd of 11,919 was the largest to ever witness App State deliver a road win in men’s basketball. It was the Mountaineers’ first victory against a Power Five opponent since a 65-63 win at Virginia Tech early in the 2014-15 season.
• Freshman Justin Abson had two blocks on the night, bringing his total to 10 over the first three games. That is third best in the nation and first among freshmen.
• The Mountaineers drew eight charges on the night, led by Tamell Pearson, who drew five. Justin Abson drew the eighth in a crucial moment with three minutes to go.

App State now returns to the Holmes Convocation Center for a three-game stretch on consecutive days, including Campbell (Nov. 18, 7 p.m.), Kennesaw State (Nov. 19, 7 p.m.) and Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 20, 2:30 p.m.).

Louisville travels to Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. They open on Nov. 21 against Arkansas, then will face some combination of Creighton, Texas Tech, Ohio State, San Diego State, Cincinnati, and Arizona.

BOONE, N.C. – Head Soccer Coach Aimee Haywood announced the addition of 11 newcomers to the team’s 2023 class, as part of National Signing Day, November 9.

“I’m extremely excited to welcome my first full signing class here at App,” Haywood said. “These excellent young women are talented and excited to continue to elevate our program to new heights. This is a very strong class that will add immediate competition to our current roster at every position on the field.”

These additions come on the heels of Haywood’s first season, in which she led the Mountaineers to a seventh-place finish in the Sun Belt, following a last-place finish in 2021. Her five Sun Belt victories were the most conference wins by a first-year head coach in program history.

Summer Bowman – Forward | Trinity, N.C. | Charlotte Soccer Academy
The MVP of the 2A State Champion Wheatmore High School Squad, Bowman comes to the High Country after a terrific high school career. In 17 games played as a junior last spring, Bowman netted 36 goals, while dishing out 23 assists, shattering her program’s scoring records. The state title was the first in Wheatmore history, as they became the first girls’ team from Randolph County to win a soccer championship. Bowman also plays for the Charlotte Soccer Academy, where she excels in the air, leading the club in header goals. Bowman has also spent time playing soccer internationally in England.

Ella Hoover – Midfielder | Granville, Ohio | Ohio Premier
Named an All-American her junior season, Hoover enjoyed a decorated career at Granville High School. She has also garnered All-State and Player of the Year recognitions in soccer, captaining her squad. Hoover is a three-sport athlete, also competing for Granville in basketball and lacrosse. Hoover also plays for the Ohio Premier Soccer Club, under the direction of Katie Robinson. She not only excels on the field, but also in the classroom where she is a member of the Cum Laude Society. She also has a 25-pound cat named Boots.

Marley Kahle – Forward | Crestwood, Ky. | Racing Louisville FC
Kahle (pronounced KAY-lee) was a standout high school player at South Oldham, where she scored 30 goals and added 18 assists this fall in her senior campaign, culminating with a state championship. It capped a 63-goal career for the forward, who along the way earned All-State recognition, in addition to being named to the Fall 2022 South All-Region Team by United Soccer Coaches. Kahle also plays club soccer for Racing Louisville FC academy, under the direction of George Davis IV. She has a guinea pig named Oatmeal.

Kaytan Kroboth – Forward/Midfielder | Raleigh, N.C. | NC Courage
Kroboth comes to Boone after playing her club soccer for the North Carolina Courage Academy, where she was named the NCNL player to watch. Kroboth is set to graduate with a 4.3 GPA and Summa Cum Laude honors. In addition to her studies in the classroom, she spent much of her downtime during COVID at the beach, where she studied for, and received, her boating license.

Avenley Monteith – Outside Back/Winger/Midfielder | Cornelius, N.C. | Charlotte Independence
A three-time All-State selection at Liberty Prep Christian Academy, Monteith was also twice named to the All-Conference squad, in addition to garnering team MVP honors as a junior. Monteith also plays for Neil Roberts and the Charlotte Independence Soccer Club. Monteith competed for her birth country Northern Ireland’s U17 squad in 2018. She joins her older sister Breckyn Monteith (’23) on the Mountaineers squad.

Makayla Mulholland – Outside Back | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Mulholland is a standout defender for the Pittsburg Riverhounds Club and head coach Scott Gibson. Additionally, she plays for Fox Chapel Area High school where she has three-times garnered All-Section recognition and has been named All-Conference all four seasons. Before joining the Riverhounds she was the Arsenal FC of Pittsburgh Player of the Year in 2020. Mulholland also spends time volunteering with a local youth soccer team.

Brezlyn Parsons – Goalkeeper | Pawleys Island, S.C. | Wilmington Hammerheads
Parsons comes to the High Country from Pawleys Island, where she is the goalkeeper for the Wilmington Hammerheads under the direction of Will Heaney. In addition to her time in net for the Hammerheads, Parsons plays at Waccamaw High School, where she posted nine shutouts in 16 matches as a junior last spring, registering a goals-against-average of just .508.

Hayden Rape – Midfielder/Outside Back | Charleston, S.C. | South Carolina Surf
Rape is the captain of her club team, South Carolina Surf, under the direction of Aaron McGarvey. She also plays for James Island Charter High School, where she has helped lead the team to back-to-back 4A State Championships on her way to being named Most Valuable Player. Rape has a twin sister, Grayson, and is one of four siblings.

Olivia Simon – Midfielder | Waxhaw, N.C. | Charlotte Independence
Simon is the captain of her club team, Charlotte Independence, where she plays for head coach Neil Roberts. She also plays for Cuthbertson High School, where she was named the conference and region Player of the Year, in addition to garnering All-State recognition as a junior. She has tallied 14 goals and 12 assists in her high school career. Simon also plays basketball for Charlotte Independence, and has a foster cat named Goldie.

Kyli Switalski – Forward | High Point, N.C. | NC Fusion
An All-State selection at Ragsdale High School, Switalski scored 37 goals in 17 games her junior campaign. She also plays club for the North Carolina Fusion for head coach Elijah Denton. Switalski won the golden boot Award when she scored six goals in the Triad Cup last spring.

Sarah Wommack – Goalkeeper | Kernersville, N.C. | NC Fusion
The 2022 ULS Academy Cup Golden Glove winner, Wommack joins the Mountaineers after being chosen to participate in the 2021 Tennessee National Selection Game as a member of the NC Fusion ECNL squad. Wommack also competed for two years on the Northwest Guilford High School team, earning 4A Metro Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 and All-State honors in 2022, in addition to being All-Conference and All-Region both seasons.

Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – Graduate student Brooke Bigott and redshirt-senior Janay Sanders led the charge against local Division II opponent Lees-McRae on Monday as App State defended Holmes Center, 67-33, against the Bobcats.

Bigott scored 13 of the Mountaineers’ points, while Sanders posted 12. The pair also earned eight rebounds apiece. Twenty-seven of the Black and Gold’s points were made off fast breaks and 24 points came from the bench.

“Today was a great opportunity to be back home in front of our fan base and open up our season against Lees-McRae,” said head coach Angel Elderkin. “They had a really good game on Saturday, we were actually very concerned with them coming in. They took a nationally ranked Division II team down to the wire. They came in today and I thought our defense set the tone early.

“We’re still a work in progress in terms of some areas figuring out lineup so I thought tonight just gave us some good opportunity to play different lineups, get some minutes in the Holmes Center under our belt and obviously come out with a win.”

After surging out to a 13-2 lead in the first quarter, the Mountaineers steadily extended their lead with a pair of Emily Carver 3-pointers in the second to lead 21-8. Carver totaled nine points on the night as well as two steals.

Bigott and freshman Chaé Harris helped the Mountaineers go on a 9-0 run in the third quarter, putting App State up 46-17. Harris notched eight points and six rebounds. A layup from sophomore Zada Porter put the Black and Gold up 50-20 to close out the third quarter.

Harris, sophomore Mariah Frazier, and junior Dane Bertolina led the Mountaineers in the fourth quarter, combining for 15 of the Mountaineers’ 17 points in the quarter. Freshman Lexi Grant made it to the hoop with 26 seconds left for her first collegiate layup.

UP NEXT
App State will host Norfolk State on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. Four tickets to the Rock Garden at Saturday’s football game against Old Dominion will be up for grabs as well.