Paul Sherar - Chief Photographer

Breedlove briefs Aisha Bryant before Saturday’s game.

ASU snaps seven-game losing skid

James Nix - Sports Beat

To the average spectator, it seemed as if the Appalachian State University women’s basketball team had just won the Southern Conference Tournament. As the final seconds ticked away, the players on the bench stormed the court to meet their teammates in a triumphant celebration.

But the Mountaineers had not won a championship. They had not upset a No. 1 ranked team. They had done nothing but win a single ball game against Furman University, 82-78.

The Mountaineers had reason to celebrate, however—they had just broken a seven-game losing streak.

“If you lose seven in a row, you’ll be happy too,” said head coach Barbie Breedlove. “This is a great win for our program.”

Appalachian battled back and forth with the Paladins, tying them 15 times and trailing at times by only five instead of the double-digit deficits that had been the norm during the losing skid.

By halftime, the Mountaineers led by one after shooting 48 percent from the field and 70 percent from both the free throw line and three point line.

In the second half, Appalachian expanded on its lead before falling back down to a five-point deficit.

A turning point in the game came when Jessica Jank blocked a three-point attempt by Furman, stole the ball and got it down court to Aisha Bryant who scored three points.

Appalachian then fought to tie the game with two and a half minutes remaining. A two-minute stalemate followed, leaving the final seconds to decide the victor.

The Mountaineers then secured their win with two free throws made by Bryant followed by a steal by Joanie White, who then made two more free throws.

Appalachian shot 42 percent from the field against Furman after averaging only 36 percent in the previous seven games.

“I didn’t do anything magical, I didn’t give any great pre-game speech,” said Breedlove. “Our young women just came to play, and they played with a lot of passion.”

Four Mountaineers posted double digits, including a career-high 30 points scored by Bryant.

The win gives the team “enthusiasm, confidence and any adjective you can think of,” said Bryant.

Appalachian was missing Jaymi Wilson, who dislocated her elbow. She will be back on the court before the end of the season.

“We were concerned with Jaymi Wilson out of the game,” said Breedlove. “We were looking for somebody to step up, and we had that with Aisha Bryant.”

“It’s about shots falling,” said Bryant. “Our shots weren’t falling in those seven games.”

“I think this is a great confidence builder for us,” said Breedlove. “We did this without arguably one of our best players, Jaymi Wilson.”

The win came only days after Breedlove announced she would resign at the end of the season. This brings up the question: Was this a win-one-for-the-coach situation?

Breedlove said she didn’t know how the players felt going into the game regarding her resignation. White, on the other hand seemed ready to close the season on a positive note for her coach.

“We’re going to go out and make the best of it in the end for her and for us too,” said White.

Late Mountaineer rally not enough
to erase Wildcat lead

Andy Morris - Sports Beat

The inconsistency bug bit Appalachian State University again in an 82-72 loss to Davidson College Saturday afternoon at the George M. Holmes Convocation Center.

Trailing 20-18 with 11:06 remaining in the first half, the Mountaineers went cold and Davidson went on a 16-0 tear to take a 36-18 lead.

“I think that 16-0 run was a decisive factor,” said Appalachian head coach Houston Fancher. “We just went dry from the perimeter.”

The undersized Mountaineers (8-13, 3-7) were matching the taller and stronger Wildcats for the opening part of the first half but seemed to lose their focus and inspiration.

“We wanted to come out fiery, but we laid down and it hurt us in the first half,” said Appalachian’s Nate Carson.

The Mountaineers shot terribly in the first half, connecting on only 26.7 percent of their attempts from the field. Thirteen of Appalachian’s first 30 shots were three-point attempts.

“We didn’t shoot well from the perimeter and to win against Davidson, you need good perimeter shooting,” said Fancher. “They guarded us really well.”

Appalachian’s focus on perimeter shooting limited its inside game and as a result, the Mountaineers only went to the line 10 times in the first half.

“We took too many perimeter shots and didn’t drive as much,” said Carson.

The Mountaineers also stopped playing aggressive and tight defense during the run.

“We can’t let our inconsistencies be on defense,” said Fancher. “We gave up some big offensive rebounds.”

Despite falling into a deep hole in the first half, the Mountaineers managed to mount a comeback against the Wildcats (15-6, 8-2) in the second half.

With 11:10 remaining, the Mountaineers started a 19-4 run that cut the Wildcats’ lead to 64-59 with 4:49 left to play. Carson scored eight points in the run, all on free throws.

The Mountaineers stole the ball on Davidson’s next possession and Carson drove down the right side of the court for the lay-up, but instead of getting the basket and the blocking foul, Carson was called for a controversial charge. Davidson took the ball and nailed a three-pointer to put the lead at 67-59.

“That charge call was a big momentum-killer for us,” said Fancher.
“We got that steal, but then I was called for the charge and they hit an uncontested three,” Carson said. “I was trying to avoid the charge and I made some contact, but you can’t argue about it now.”

Davidson held a serious size advantage over the Mountaineers, especially in the paint with 7-foot-2-inch, 280-pound senior Martin Ides. Overall, the Wildcats were of bigger build and height than most of the Mountaineers.

“Their size was a big factor,” Fancher said. “Size especially becomes a factor when you get fatigued.”

Carson led the Mountaineers with 18 points and Graham Bunn threw in 16. Jonathan Butler scored 12 points for Appalachian.

Ides led Davidson with 15 points and Nick Booker and Wayne Bernard each had 13. Chris Pearson scored 10 for the Wildcats.