BOONE, N.C. - Despite 11 straight points from redshirt sophomore Q Murray in the final 3:43 of the game, Appalachian State University women's basketball fell short against Radford, 57-54, on Sunday afternoon in the Holmes Center.
In a back-and-forth game that never saw a lead for either team grow past nine points, the Mountaineers (4-4) battled tough defensively, holding the Highlanders (5-1) to 18.2 percent from downtown and forced 19 turnovers.
For the first time this season, Appalachian dropped a game while having at least three double-digit scorers. Senior Joi Jones led the pack, having 19 points to go along with a season-high eight rebounds.
Junior Madi Story was one rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing nine boards, while Murray finished with 11 points.
The trio scored 43 of the team's points and hit 17 of the Apps' 19 field goals. App State would connect on a season-high six 3-pointers in the game and shot a season-best 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.
On the defensive side, senior Ashley Bassett-Smith grabbed three boards, had one steal while blocking two shots on the day. With the blocks, Bassett-Smith became the seventh player all-time in program history to amass 100 blocks and is now tied for sixth all-time with 101.
Trailing the entire game, Appalachian wouldn't capture its first lead until the 1:54 mark when Murray hit a pair of free throws during her 11-point barrage to put the Apps ahead, 49-47. But the Highlanders' leading scorer, Destinee Walker, scored the next seven points to put the visitors ahead, 53-49, with 26 seconds left in the game.
After Murray had connected on her third trey of the quarter, the Apps and Highlanders traded a pair of free throws and a layup from Jones to keep the RU lead to 56-54. Jen Falconer hit the front end of a pair at the line, giving the Mountaineers a chance to tie, but Murray's tying attempt fell short off the trim, giving RU its fifth consecutive win.
In what has been App State's formula in its four wins getting inside the paint and turning turnovers into points, Radford turned the tide, holding a 14-6 edge in points off turnovers and a 30-16 advantage in points in the paint.
Despite the opening quarter being close, the Highlanders held onto the lead for the entire frame. RU held App to 25 percent shooting from the field. Jones helped the Apps stay within striking distance scoring nine of the team's 10 points, while the visitors went into the second quarter with a 13-10 lead.
RU extended the lead to as much as nine, 23-14, with 3:05 left in the half following an 8-2 run over a 3:28 span. App State responded scoring the next seven points thanks to a pair of jumpers from Jones and a 3-pointer by freshman Brooklyn Allen (Canton, N.C./Pisgah) before the break to slice the deficit to two, 23-21.
Coming out of the half, RU scored seven of the next eight points to push the lead to eight, 30-22. App State once again crawled back to keep the deficit to one possession, but the Highlanders answered as they went into the fourth quarter with a 41-34 lead. In the third quarter alone RU outscored App State 14-4 in the paint and notched seven points off of turnovers.
Appalachian kept grinding to get back into the game until Murray caught fire in the final minutes to help App State have a chance to tie the game.
Destinee Walker scored a game-high 22 points for the Highlanders with 11 boards while Jayda Worthy recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Sydney Nunley posted 13 off the glass along with nine points.
The Mountaineers now have a full week off before traveling to Atlanta where they will take on Georgia Tech on Sunday, Dec. 11. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
