After a four-game road trip, App State returned to Boone Sunday for a matchup with Austin Peay, dominating the Governors 78-58.
“I was really proud of our guys,” said head coach Dustin Kerns. “I think it was a well balanced attack, I think that our depth wore them down.”
The Black and Gold were led by junior forward Tre’Von Spillers, who scored a career-high 20 points along with seven rebounds and one block. Graduate student forward Donovan Gregory added in 17 points and freshman guard Jordan Marsh scored a career-high 13 points.
“Just doing the little things,” Spillers said. “Just doing everything my coaches ask me to do and that my teammates want me to do.”
The Mountaineers trailed for only 13 seconds as they seized control of the first half. The Governors shot 3/16 in the opening eight minutes of the half, allowing App State to go on a 10-0 run.
The Black and Gold ended the half on a 20-3 run, heading into halftime up 44-24. App State’s defense shined as they forced seven Governor turnovers and held Austin Peay to shoot 29% from the field and 30% from three. Additionally, they limited Governors’ leading scorer DeMarcus Sharp to six first half points.
“He’s a really difficult matchup,” Kerns said. “They’re okay with him playing one-on-one basketball, and he’s a really hard guy to play one-on-one.”
App State had one of their best shooting halves of the season, shooting 56% from the field, 57% from three and 91% from the free throw line.
The Black and Gold came out of halftime committing five turnovers in the first few minutes of the second half. Austin Peay was unable to convert on the turnovers as the Governors missed six of their first 10 shots.
Despite the slow start, the Mountaineers continued to apply pressure, going up by as many as 27 before cruising to a 78-58 victory. It marks the third consecutive win after starting the season 1-2.
Eight different players scored against Austin Peay, showcasing the depth Kerns has at his disposal.
“We’ve got a lot of depth,” Kerns said. “I feel like we’ve got eight or nine starters.”
The Mountaineers return to action Wednesday, facing long-time rival East Tennessee State in Boone. The game is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
