Campbell Pregame:
Campbell brings in a perfect 4-0 record into their game with Lady Mountaineers at the East Carolina Thanksgiving Invitational. Campbell’s victims include a fifteen point victory over Western Carolina, Barber-Scotia, NC Central & Mt. St. Mary’s. Appalachian is 2-1 on the season with wins over Lees-McRae, Gardner-Webb and their lone loss is to Virginia Tech by three points. Campbell is led by Tonisha Baker, who is a stat sheet stuffer, similar to Anna Freeman. Baker averages 13.2 point, 3,5 steals, 3.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per contest. The Camel’s top rebounders are Ashley James and Kiera Gaines, who are grabbing 7.5 and 7 rebounds per game respectively. The Camels are outrebounding their opponents by over 16 boards on the season, but also turn the ball over 19 times per game. Look for the Mountaineers to force at least 25 turnovers this afternoon.
The Mountaineers have some pretty impressive statistics coming into the Invitational. Besides the jaw dropping personal numbers, the Mountaineers are putting up some great team efforts each time out. The team is forcing 28.6 turnovers per game, and shooting free throws at an astounding 85% clip. The Mountaineers are also shooting 49% from the field, while 64% of the made field goals have been assisted on. Anna Freeman is averaging 25.7 points per game while Courtney Freeman is putting in 19.7 points per game. The tandem also leads the team in rebounding with Anna grabbing seven rebounds per game and Courtney is pulling down 5.3 boards per game.
Campbell Postgame:
The Camels put up a good fight before finally falling to Appalachian 69-54 on Saturday afternoon. The Mountaineers had an issue of the past rear its ugly head with a slow start. The Mountaineers led by six at halftime, shooting a dismal 39% in the first half. The Mountaineers led by as many as eight points in the first half. Campbell was able to stay close by hitting three of the their eight three point attempts.
Appalachian tightened the perimeter defense in the second half, only allowing the Camels to hit one three pointer, and forcing fourteen turnovers. After Tonisha Baker hit two free throws to give the Camels their last lead of the game at 49-48 with 10:21 to play, Anna Freeman and Raven Gary responded with back-to-back three pointers to give the Mountaineers a five point lead. Campbell would respond with a 5-0 run of their own to tie the game at 54 with 7:50 to play. However, that would be the final points of the game for the Camels, as the Mountaineers would end the game with a 15-0 run.
The Mountaineers (3-1) were led by a career high from Raven Gary, who finished with 17 points, six assists and four steals. Anna Freeman recorded a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Freeman missed her first free throw of the year, finishing 2/3 from the line. Maryah Sydnor chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds. Appalachian will face Norfolk State on Sunday afternoon.
Norfolk State:
Two unheralded underclassmen led the Mountaineers in a come from behind win over Norfolk State on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Katie Mallow and freshman Farrahn Wood combined to knock down eight three pointers to help Appalachian overcome a thirteen point first half deficit. The hot shooting from the behind the arc came without warning. Coming into the game, the two had only combined for four three pointers in the previous four games. Mallow was second on the team last year with 36 made trifectas in 33 games, with ten of those coming in the WNIT. Wood set a school record by hitting nine three pointers in a game in high school.
Outside of Mallow and Wood, the Mountaineers (4-1) suffered early on from another poor shooting performance from the field. The Mountaineers only managed 36% from the floor. For the tournament, the Mountaineers shot 39.5% from the field, much lower than their season mark of 49% coming into the tournament. Four Mountaineers finished the game in double figures, led by Mallow and Courtney Freeman with 15. Wood added 12 points and Anna Freeman scored eleven.
C-Notes: Appalachian State ( RPI 279) will travel next to Xavier (RPI 141) on Friday Night for a homecoming for senior Kelsey Sharkey. Xavier will host#4 Duke tonight…Chattanooga lost their first game of the season against St Mary’s College on Saturday…Davidson is 1-3, but has played all of their games on the road…Conference play begins this weekend as each team will play at least one conference game within the next eight days.