Women's:
The App State Women's Basketball team dominated the Georgia Southern Eagles with a 77-66 victory. The Eagles had no answer for the tandem of Lainey Gosnell and Pre Stanley as both women put up 18 points. Gosnell was unconscious from downtown, connecting on four 3-pointers and pulling down 10 rebounds for her 6th double-double of the season. With 3:26 left to go in the 4th quarter, Gosnell hit a triple as the shot clock expired to get her to her 163rd made three; tying for 3rd all time in program history.
The game was close until the tail end of the 3rd quarter, the Eagles even had a 3 point lead at one point. But that lasted only 22 seconds as the Mountaineers went on a 11-2 run to close out the quarter. Michaela Porter scored eight of her 13 points in this stretch. When the 4th started, it was all App State, extending the lead to 17 points. The Eagles tried to make the score respectable but they couldn't do much. The Lady Mountaineers are hitting their stride at a perfect time as they are jostling with Georgia State for the 2 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament next weekend. The next matchup for the Mountaineers is easily the most important of the season.
Men's:
Wow, what a game. The Men's Basketball Team pulled off their most impressive victory of the season beating Georgia Southern 84-78 in double overtime. The rivalry against the Eagles always finds a way to deliver. From a dramatic comeback, a nail-biting end to regulation, and a variety of clutch plays, this game had all you wanted in a basketball game. Justin Forrest and Adrian Delph played the hero's as they lead the way with 24 and 23 points respectively.
Georgia Southern absolutely had control of the game for the entirety of the 1st half and the beginning of the second. According to ESPN, the Eagles' win probability was at 99% when they had an 21-point lead with 15 minutes left to go in the second half. However, this is when the Mountaineers started to make adjustments.
Dustin Kerns switched to a 2-2-1 full court press that caused problems for the Eagles. The Mountaineers were able to contest shots and come up with steals for more opportunities to score. App State slowly chipped away at the lead until Adrian Delph hit big back-to-back triples to cut the lead to single digits. The game was back and forth until Delph hit a corner three with an off-ball foul being called on the Eagles. Giving the Mountaineers the ball back and taking the lead after a backdoor slam by Xavion Brown. Southern was able to answer with a pair of free throws giving them the lead with 30 seconds left in regulation. Justin Forrest came down the floor and finished a tough layup to send the game into OT.
In OT, Justin Forrest showed the App State fanbase why he is the Eagle killer. The Eagles had a three-point lead with 38 seconds left, but Forrest knocked down a deep 3-ball to tie the game again and send the game to it's second extra time period. In the second, Forrest put the game on ice with a layup and dagger three to put the Mountaineers up five with less than a minute to go. Unlike the Eagles, the Mountaineers were able to sink their free throws and pull off the victory.