The two teams atop the Sun Belt standings faced off Saturday evening in front of the third largest crowd in App State history. The Mountaineers completed the season sweep of James Madison with an 82-76 win.
“This is not the first time we’ve met the moment this year,” said head coach Dustin Kerns. “Everybody played well, did their job and we played App State basketball.”
The Black and Gold started the game with three turnovers and allowed the Dukes to jump to an early 6-2 lead. Junior guard Terence Harcum scored the first five points for App State to keep them in the game and gain momentum early. Harcum led all scorers with 10 points in the first half.
Harcum’s three-pointer at the 17:20 mark sparked a 13-1 run for the Mountaineers. James Madison missed every shot during the run and never regained the lead.
The Black and Gold’s defense remained their identity in the win. Sophomore forward Justin Abson tied an App State school record with eight blocks. The Mountaineers totaled the second most blocks all season with 12.
“It’s not just the defensive presence he gives, it’s the confidence he has in you,” said Abson when asked about Kerns. “He was telling me today, ‘If they challenge you at the rim just go block it.’ It’s just him giving us confidence and it’s helping us believe we can defend the ball and effect shots.”
In the second half, junior forward Tre’Von Spillers showed why he earned Sun Belt Player of the Week last week. He scored 18 of his 21 points in the half, and allowed the Mountaineers to maintain their lead despite a three-minute scoring drought with 15 minutes remaining.
“I just stayed composed, kept my head up, and just took my time,” Spillers said. “I know that I have a big role on
this team and I just have to keep doing what I do to help us win.”
The Dukes played physical defense down the stretch, allowing them to stay in the game. James Madison guard Noah Freidel made three three-pointers in the second half, including back to back threes with two minutes remaining. Dukes forward Terrence Edwards Jr. led James Madison in scoring with 25 points and had multiple three-point plays late in the game.
The last five minutes of the game were littered with free throws as the Dukes attempted to get back in the game. App State shot a season-high 40 free throws and made 30. James Madison used a combination of full-court press, traps and fouling to scratch and claw their way back into the game, but the Mountaineers continued to make free throws late.
“Really proud of our guys,” Kerns said. “We led for 36 minutes. I just thought we made some tough plays, we made free throws.”
This game was arguably the most important home conference game of the year, and it gave the Black and Gold a moment to display their abilities on national television. For the second time this year, the Holmes Convocation Center surpassed 8,000 in attendance.
“Unbelievable job by our community, students, and administration,” Kerns said. “The nation seeing Boone, App State, and our atmosphere from a recruiting standpoint and all of the above really helped us win the game.”
With the win, the Mountaineers remain No. 1 in the Sun Belt Conference standings. Since the Jan. 6 loss to Troy, the Black and Gold have won six straight games. App State completed the season sweep on James Madison and continues adding to the historic season.
The Mountaineers will start a three-game road trip Thursday in Atlanta as they face Georgia State at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
