App State women’s basketball went on the road Saturday to face Georgia Southern University in their final game before the holiday break. The Eagles controlled the game throughout and defeated the Mountaineers 67-54.
Junior guard Daisia Mitchell splashed a 3-pointer to get the scoring started for App State. Mitchell scored 7 points in the first quarter and finished the game with 12.
App State led the game for only 29 seconds. The Eagles quickly responded to Mitchell’s 3-pointer with back-to-back triples, securing a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Sophomore forward Feryal Defne Atli collected two baskets in the first quarter, and sophomore guard Jayden McBride made a layup midway through the quarter.
However, the Eagles’ offense got off to a hot start, shooting 50% from beyond the arc in the first 10 minutes. App State trailed 18-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Georgia Southern’s lead grew to 9 points two minutes into the second quarter before App State began to claw back. Senior forward Elena Pericic connected on a 3-pointer, quickly followed by a layup from freshman forward Addie Biel.
The Mountaineers closed the Eagles’ lead to 2 points after a McBride 3-pointer made it a 27-25 game, but they were unable to wrestle the lead away from the Eagles. Georgia Southern held a 6-point advantage going into halftime, at 33-27.
Shortly after the Eagles opened the second half with a layup, McBride drained another 3-pointer, bringing her to 8 points in the game. McBride led the Mountaineers in scoring during the game with 16 points.
Senior guard Emma Smith, who was scoreless in the first half, buried a jump shot midway through the third quarter to get on the score sheet. Smith, the Mountaineer’s leading scorer this season, was limited to only 3 points.
Georgia Southern’s offense continued to shine in the third quarter, as the Eagles’ lead ballooned to 15 late in the frame. Pericic drilled a 3-point shot near the end of the quarter, but the Eagles tacked on a layup just before the buzzer to lead 49-35 heading into the fourth quarter.
Mitchell and McBride tried to spark a comeback, as they made quick baskets at the start of the final quarter. However, the Mountaineers couldn’t cut the deficit under double digits, and the Eagles cruised to a 13-point home victory.
App State has lost their last 3 games and opens Sun Belt play 0-2 with consecutive 13-point conference losses. The Mountaineers head into the holiday break with a 6-5 overall record.
App State’s next game is at home against Carolina University Dec. 29. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will stream live on ESPN+.
