Appalachian State will look to get back into the win column after a 12-point loss at Coastal Carolina last Saturday. The Mountaineers will make a trip to the Peach State and open the road trip with a clash against Georgia Southern on Saturday, Jan. 21. Tipoff between the Mountaineers and Eagles is slated for 5 p.m. from inside Hanner Fieldhouse.
Saturday's contest can be heard live locally on WATA 1450 AM in Boone and Blowing Rock. It will also be carried on Appalachian State's flagship station, WKBC 97.3 FM, as well as, WZGV 730 AM, WCOG 1320 AM, and online/worldwide on appstatesports.com and via the TuneIn app.
The game can also be viewed live on ESPN3 via the WatchESPN app.
LAST TIME OUT
• App State couldn't overcome a a halftime defecit after fighting back to trail by just three points in a 85-73 loss at Coastal Carolina on Jan. 14.
• Ronshad Shabazz led the Mountaineers with 17 points, while Griffin Kinney added 11 points and eight boards.
• Off the bench, Isaac Johnson added nine points and nine rebounds and Craig Hinton posted his second solid effort in a row with six points and seven rebounds.
• Down by as many as 14 points, the Mountaineers trimmed the deficit to just three, but couldn't overcome.
TOP HEADLINES AND SERIES HISTORY
• Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have matched up 46 times in program history - most of which came as members of the Southern Conference.
• The Mountaineers own a 25-21 overall mark against the Eagles all time. However, since its last season in the Southern Conference, Appalachian State is 1-5 against Georgia Southern.
• App State's last win over Georgia Southern on the road came in a 91-86 overtime win on Feb. 7, 2013.
• The Apps are still seeking its first Sun Belt road victory since a 75-71 win at Troy on Jan. 28, 2016. This season App State has one road win, a 70-61 win at Hartford.
• Last Saturday's loss at Coastal Carolina was just the third for the Mountaineers when they achieve at least 15 assists in a game. They are 5-3 in such games this year.
• The Mountaineers are still averaging a Sun Belt-best 15.4 assists per game.
• According to Ken Pomeroy, Appalachian is the 13th-youngest team in the country in terms of experience (338/351).
• In league play this season, Griffin Kinney is averaging 11.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Kinney is shooting a team-high 63.9 percent from the floor in five league games, while averaging 24.2 minutes per contest.
• Ronshad Shabazz collected his 33rd career double-digit scoring game and 15th this season in 16 games against Coastal Carolina. Shabazz is averaging a team-best 15.4 points per game in Sun Belt play.
• Craig Hinton has really elevated his level of play over the last few games. Off the bench over the last two games, Hinton is averaging 6.0 points and 6.5 rebounds - playing an averaging of 18 minutes per game.
• Also off the bench in that span, Isaac Johnson has boosted the Appalachian production on the scoreboard and on the glass. Johnson is averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game over his last two.
• Over that same two-game stretch, Emarius Logan has averaged 11.5 points per game with five assist to just one turnover, while adding a 90.0 percent clip at the foul line.
• Appalachian has forced 213 turnovers this season and turned those into 260 points — averaging out to scoring 1.2 points per turnover.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
• Georgia Southern enters today's contest with a 12-6 mark overall and has remained perfect in league play, standing at 5-0 atop the Sun Belt. The Eagles are riding a six-game winning streak.
• The Eagles recently earned two road wins at both Louisiana (81-76) and ULM (62-60). They previously have routed Georgia State (88-65) and beaten Troy (86-82) and South Alabama (84-79, OT).
• Three Eagle players are averaging double-figures this season: Ike Smith (19.6 ppg), Tookie Brown (17.5 ppg) and Mike Hughes (10.7 ppg).
• Averaging a -3.6 rebounding margin with 36.7 rebounds per game, the Eagles are led by Coye Simmons (5.3 rpg).
• GS is shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and holds its opponents to just 41.7 percent.
• The largest discrepancy is in shooting the three ball. The Eagles shoot at a 34.6 percent clip, but hold their opponents to just 31.0 percent from long range.
• The Eagles average just 11.6 turnovers per game, while forcing their opponent into 15.1 per contest.
LOOKING AHEAD
• Appalachian State will head to Atlanta following its game at Georgia Southern. Tipoff between the Mountaineers and the Panthers of Georgia State is set for Monday at 7 p.m.
• The game can also be viewed on ESPN3 via the WatchESPN app.
