App State women’s basketball defeated the Norfolk State University Spartans by a score of 66-38 Tuesday. It was the first game back home after a win over UNC-Asheville.
“What an eclectic environment, that was awesome,” head coach Alaura Sharp said in the post game press conference.
The Spartans got going quickly, scoring on the first possession of the game, but the Black and Gold responded with a 3-pointer from junior guard Daisia Mitchell. Senior guard Emily Hege splashed another 3-pointer for the Mountaineers, the second of the game.
The App State defense was forcing turnovers early; a Norfolk State double dribble was their fifth in the first five minutes.
Mitchell drained her second 3-pointer of the game early to extend the Mountaineer lead to 7, and followed it up with her third of the game to grow the lead to 10. Every field goal made by the Black and Gold came from behind the arc in the first quarter.
The 3-pointers kept raining down to start the second quarter as senior forward Elena Pericic knocked one down, and Mitchell followed that up with another one to go back up 8.
Freshman guard Riley Stoker came off the bench and gave the Black and Gold their first 2-pointer of the game.
App State got their largest lead of the game after a pair of free throws from Pericic, who followed that up with her second 3-pointer of the game to go up 16.
Both teams went into the locker room with the Mountaineers up 32-19. Mitchell led the half in scoring with 14 points.
The third quarter started with sophomore forward Feryal Defne Atli scoring the first 8 points for the Black and Gold, with the streak spanning over four minutes before another Mountaineer scored.
Mitchell continued her hot stretch, knocking down her fifth triple of the afternoon, and followed up with a layup to give App State a lead of 22.
Sophomore guard Jayden McBride became the last starter to score for the Black and Gold after connecting from downtown, later in the quarter.
App State’s defense was proving to be too much for the Spartans. At the end of the third quarter, Norfolk State had 30 points and were 30% from the field.
“That’s why our coach brought us here,” Michell said. “Defense wins games, and it starts on defense when we go hard.”
Atli continued to take over in the second half, with 13 of her 17 points coming in the final 20 minutes.
Mitchell ended her day as the game’s leading scorer with 21, a new season-high.
The Black and Gold continued to pour it on, and won the game 66-38.
“I think I’ve learned a lot about our team, that we’ve got a lot of weapons,” Sharp said. “We have a chance, I’ve said this from the beginning, to be really good defensively. The biggest thing that I’m learning about this team is that we have a little more grit and toughness than I thought we had.”
App State embarks on a four game road trip, with the first stop being down the road in Boiling Springs against Gardner-Webb University Monday. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
