BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's basketball (10-17, 7-11 SBC) will host its final two home games this weekend against the top two teams in the conference, starting with a scorching Little Rock (17-11, 15-4 SBC) squad on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Holmes Center.
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@AppStateWBB at @LittleRockWBB| March 3rd | 5 p.m. | Holmes Center | Boone, N.C.
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About the Mountaineers
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers made clutch plays in the end to propel past Georgia State, 72-69, on Saturday. Joi Jones and Kaila Craven scored career highs with 28 and 18 points, respectively. Jones went 12-for-17 while Craven hit a personal-best four 3-pointers. KeKe Cooper added 11 points but her 3-point play with 27 seconds left gave App State the 70-69 lead before she blocked a shot that would have given the Panthers the lead.
Tournament Scenarios
• The Mountaineers stand two games in front of Georgia State for the final tournament spot.
• If App State wins a game or GSU falls in one of its final two games, the Mountaineers clinch a spot in the tournament.
• In any instance App State loses both game and GSU wins both games, Troy would have to finish higher than UT Arlington with the Trojans being the Mountaineers best win as UTA is GSU's
• Appalachian could also get into the seventh seed with a win over the final two games and Texas State dropping the final two contests.
• For GSU to get in, UTA would have to go 3-0 and Troy 0-2 to give the Panthers the higher seeded team they beat.
An App State Win Would
• Clinch a spot in the Sun Belt tournament.
• Push App State to 11-17 and 8-11 in the conference.
• Snap a two-game slide at home in conference play.
• Give the Mountaineers their second win over a top two team in the conference (ULL).
• Snap Little Rock's league-long 12-game win streak.
• Drop the Trojans to 17-12 and 15-5 in the Sun Belt.
• Hand LR its seventh loss on the road.
• Give the Mountaineers their first win over LR in the all-time series.
Who's Hot
• Jones has been on a tear where the junior guard is averaging 21.7 ppg, shooting 27-43 (62.8 percent), dishing out 4.7 apg, pulling down 4.0 rpg and sporting a 76.9 shooting clip from the charity strip.
• After averaging 21.5 ppg in the two wins over Georgia Southern and Georgia State, Jones was awarded her first Sun Belt Student-Athlete of the Week Award.
• Jones scored a career-high 28 points on 12-for-17 shooting from the floor with six rebounds and three assists.
• Craven has also shown glimpses of her play from February, as she scored a career-best 18 points at Georgia State while hitting a career-high four 3-pointers .
• Cooper added 11 points in the win but none bigger than her three points she scored on a conventional 3-point play with 27 seconds left that gave App State the lead, 70-69.
Five Things to Watch vs. Little Rock
• The Mountaineers are shooting 33.3 percent in the past two wins (27.9 overall). See if the Apps can keep the improved shooting from long distance at the same rate.
• Jones is averaging 21.7 ppg over the past three games, including two 20-point games. See if she can keep the same play up against one of the top two teams in the conference.
• In the Trojans' four losses in Sun Belt play, they have averaged 18.8 turnovers per game (15.9 overall). See if Appalachian can apply pressure to Little Rock and force mistakes.
• Madi Story has averaged 18.2 ppg on 44.2 percent shooting over the last four home games. Watch if Story can provide the same scoring load she has been at the Holmes Center.
• In the first meeting against Little Rock, the Apps were outscored by 15 (23-8) in the second quarter but by just two points (44-42) over the other three quarters. Watch if Appalachian can put a full 40 minutes together against the hot Trojans.
Scouting Little Rock (17-11, 15-4 SBC)
• The Trojans are the hottest team in the Sun Belt with a league-long 12-game win streak after giving Arkansas State its first conference loss of the season on Tuesday, 71-69.
• LR scores just 58.6 ppg, but the defense has shut opponents down allowing the fewest points per game at 54.6, which is ranked 23rd in the NCAA.
• The Little Rock defense has also forced the fourth-most turnovers per game (18.2) while its +3.2 turnover margin is fourth as well.
• Shanity James is leading the team in ppg (15.5), rpg (7.7) and blks (21). She had a huge performance on Tuesday against the Red Wolves with 25 pts and 14 rebs.
• James is sixth in scoring and fourth in rebounding while her 53 percent shooting is the fourth highest in the league.
• App State is 0-3 all-time against the Trojans after falling on the road to LR, 67-60.
• Story led the team with 12 points while Craven followed suit with 10 points. Kaitlyn Pratt led the hosts with 16 points and nine rebounds.
• Little Rock forced 23 App State turnovers in the win while a 23-8 second quarter played a pivotal part in the win over Appalachian.
Up Next: Arkansas State
App State will conclude the regular season on Saturday against the regular season Sun Belt Champions. It will also be the final home games for seniors Farrahn Wood and KeKe Cooper. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.
