The Mountaineers women’s basketball team is going into the Sun Belt Tournament with a record of 13-16. They are currently fifth in the conference having a 9-9 record.
The James Madison Dukes are a force to be reckoned with, going 17-0 in the conference and going into the tournament on an 18-game win streak. The Dukes are the one seed in the Sun Belt. JMU has only lost 4 games in the regular season against Notre Dame, Northern Arizona, Texas and NC State. They have a winning margin of 42 against the Black and Gold.
Arkansas State is not trailing too far behind JMU, being only 3 games out of first. Arkansas State has the fourth best offense in the tournament averaging 72.6 points per game. The Red Wolves faced off against the Mountaineers at home on Dec. 29 in Boone, resulting in a win 77-62.
The third seed is Troy University. They’re 13-4 in the conference and 19-11 in the season. The Trojans are ranked the number one team offensively in the Sun Belt, averaging 78.7 points per game. App State has only faced off once against Troy resulting in a loss of 68-85 on Jan. 9.
The fourth seed belongs to Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers have been ranked the second best offense and third best defense by the Sun Belt. CCU is currently 11-6 in the conference. The Mountaineers have played the Chanticleers both home and away resulting in a win for the Black and Gold on Jan. 11, 60-63, and a loss on Feb. 28, 88-51.
Old Dominion University is the sixth seed and could be a strong contender against the Mountaineers in the Sun Belt Tournament. The Monarchs have maintained a pretty steady conference play and had big wins against William and Mary, Southern Methodist and Oakland in the regular season. Senior guard En’Dya Buford is a strong asset to the Monarchs defense averaging 13.2 PPG. Old Dominion is currently ranked second in the conference on defense.
Although the Black and Gold has had a pretty consistent season and playing with an 8-6 record at home, they will have a few challenging teams before claiming the Sun Belt title.
App State will be led by star senior guard Zada Porter who’s averaging 10.8 points per game while also shooting 36.7% from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Mara Neira will be an asset defensively averaging 7.6 points per game and 1.6 steals.
App State women’s basketball is ranked ninth offensively and 10th defensively in the conference, keeping their opponent to 67.7 points per game.
The last game before the conference tournament the Mountaineers fell short against the Chanticleers 88-51. The bench was a valuable asset to their offense, scoring 23 points Friday night.
The Black and Gold will make for a tough competitor going into the tournament and have a chance at the title.
The Mountaineers will have until March 7 at 3 p.m. to focus on their game and establish the energy they need to bring a title back to Boone. Their opponent is yet to be determined, however, this game will be live streamed on ESPN+.
