Shooting Woes Plague App State in Setback at USA

MOBILE, Ala. - Shooting woes plagued Appalachian State University women's basketball (10-16, 5-10 SBC) in a 54-41 setback to South Alabama (9-16, 4-10 SBC) on Saturday evening in the Mitchell Center.

App shot just 20.9 percent from the floor and hit just one 3-pointer against the Jaguars. South Alabama shot 35.7 percent from the field and outscored App 12-3 from 3-point range.

The Mountaineers held a 32-27 lead going into the fourth quarter, but South Alabama shot 69.2 percent in the final period en route to outscoring the Black and Gold by 18. 

Madi Story notched her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and tied a game-high with 12 boards. The junior wing has registered five double-doubles in the past nine games. Ashley Bassett-Smith also grabbed 12 off the glass, tying her career best and chipped in with seven points. 

Joi Jones and Bria Carter both scored nine while Jones brought down six rebounds and dished out four assists. 

App State had the start it wanted with a 16-10 lead in the opening period, shooting 50 percent in the opening period while limiting the hosts to a 23.5 percent clip. App sprinted to a 9-2 lead in the first 3:42 of the game with four different Mountaineers scoring, resulting in the six-point edge.

App continued to stay in front in the second quarter, as it went into the break with a 21-20 advantage going into the half. The Mountaineers went up by as much as five with 6:12 left in the period thanks to a pair of free throws from Carter, but USA sliced the deficit to one at the end of the half after a Candice Williams trifecta.

In the third quarter, App took a 27-20 lead in the first 4:20 with a 6-0 spurt. Jones found Bassett-Smith for a layup followed by back-to-back buckets from Story and Q. Murray. 

However, the Jaguars wouldn't go away keeping the lead to five points at the end of the period, 32-27. USA started the quarter on an 11-2 run to take a 38-34 lead and didn't look back. 

App had its opportunities with 64 shot attempts and 22 offensive rebounds, which only led to eight second-chance points. App also struggled from the free throw line going 12-for-24. 

With the final three games at home, the Apps will look to ride into the Sun Belt Tournament on a high note and aim to be playing their best ball at the end of the season.

Colby Davis scored a game-high 17 points to lead three Jaguars in double-figures. Davis shot 7-for-12 from the floor while Chyna Ellis and Genesis Perrymond scored 12 and 10, respectively. 

The Mountaineers will host Louisiana on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Holmes Center on ESPN3.

 Tip-Ins

- With a team-high four helpers, Jones is now 10th all-time in assists with 275 and counting, passing Whitney Tossie (2004-07).