By Zach Smith. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. —For the third time in the 2023-24 season, App State men’s basketball played in front of a national audience on Feb. 24. The Mountaineers traveled to face Marshall, defeating the Thundering Herd for the second time in as many weeks, 65-58.
Junior guard Myles Tate led App State’s scoring effort, netting a career-high 25 points. Tate was joined by Donovan Gregory (15) and Terence Harcum (12) as Mountaineers in the double-figures. Tre’Von Spillers grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds.
Marshall’s Kevon Voyles and Kamdyn Curfman posted 19 points each, while Nate Martin pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds.
Not looking like themselves, App State found themselves trailing most of the first half. The Mountaineers grabbed the lead with just over 11 minutes in the half but Marshall scored nine consecutive points to take an eight-point advantage. The Herd later used a 6-0 run to hold a six-point lead at the intermission.
App State’s depth once again proved its worth in the second half. The Mountaineers scored 11 of the first 15 points out of the locker room, grabbing their first lead since the halfway point of the first half. Kamdyn Curfman cashed in on two free-throws to regain Marshall’s lead, but Myles Tate drained a three-pointer to give App State a lead they never returned.
App State shot at a 38 percent mark, topping Marshall’s 33 percent clip. The Thundering Herd’s 13 percent shooting from beyond the arc proved to be costly as the Mountaineers connected on 37 percent of their tries from deep. The rebounding matchup was even, each team grabbing 46 boards.
Marshall falls out of contention for a double-bye in the upcoming Sun Belt tournament. The Herd remains in a tie with Georgia State for seventh in the conference standings. Marshall looks to bounce back into the win column Feb. 28 as they travel to Statesboro to face Georgia Southern. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., and can be streamed on ESPN+.
App State retains sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt standings, and the Mountaineers need one win to clinch at least a share of the regular season conference title. App State continues that quest Feb. 28, when they return to Boone for a battle with Old Dominion. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
