App State men’s basketball headed out west to play the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs Sunday, losing 67-55. The Mountaineers had some trouble early in the game and turned the ball over 4 times in the first half.
Both teams shot below 25% from behind the arc, and this was a game of turnovers and rebounds. The Bulldogs outshot the Mountaineers on both fronts, out-rebounding the Black and Gold by 11. This allowed the Bulldogs a 17-0 run to start the game.
The Mountaineers started to claw back as the first half was winding down. Key contributions came from graduate student guard Jalen Tot, redshirt sophomore center Luke Wilson and graduate student guard Kasen Jennings. They brought the Black and Gold within 2 points of the Bulldogs with just over five minutes left in the first half. However, the Bulldogs kept the Mountaineers at bay, holding a 33-26 lead at the half.
The offense struggle continued in the second half, much to the Black and Gold’s chagrin.
The Mountaineers had chances midway through the second half, cutting the lead to 3 with a field goal from senior guard Alonzo Dodd to make it a 1-possession game. However, the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to increase the lead up to 11 with just under six minutes to go.
The Black and Gold tried to mount a comeback in the final minutes. With four minutes to go, the Mountaineers cut the lead to 9 with a Tot mid-range jump shot, but the Bulldogs kept their foot on the gas and brought the lead back to double digits. Free throws were the deciding factor, as Asheville had 14 free throws in the final six minutes of the game
This sealed the game for the Bulldogs as they went 22 for 27 at the line compared to the Mountaineers’ 7 for 15. This, combined with the short bursts of points for the Bulldogs, allowed them to close out this game with a final score of 67-55.
The Black and Gold will head back to the Holmes Convocation Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3 to play the Virginia-Lynchburg Dragons. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
