We're back in Boone on Saturday afternoon for ASU's second conference showdown in three games at the Black Hole...this time with the UNCG Spartans.The Spartans are 1-11, and 0-3 in the SoCon, while ASU is 6-5 and a perfect 3-0 in the SoCon. UNCG has played six of its last seven games on the road. UNCG lost 80-75 at Western Carolina on Thursday evening, while ASU took a 76-52 win over Elon. Today's could potentially be a trap game for the Mountaineers, as they host the Davidson Wildcats on Monday night at Holmes Convocation Center.
We'll be courtside with running updates throughout this afternoon's game
3:45 PM - first media timeout of the game, and the Mountaineers lead 10-6. Ryann Abraham has scored 8 of the 10 ASU points, while Damian Eargle has scored all six of UNCG's points so far.
3:50 PM - 11:33 media timeout and Appalachian is up 14-11 over the Spartans. The Mountaineers are looking inside to Isaac Butts more than in the Elon game where he finished the contest well below his season average in points and rebounds.
UNCG's leading scorer Mikko Koivisto has six points to lead his squad.
4:00 PM - A 5-0 UNCG run has given the Spartans the lead at 21-20 with 7:57 to go before halftime. Eargle has 10 points for the first player in double figures in the game. Appalachian has committed a number of turnovers, the bugaboo that Coach Fancher mentioned as an ongoing issue with his ballclub. ASU will need to clean up its act offensively and take better care of the basketball to pull away in this game.
4:15 PM - The Mountaineers have regained the edge at 28-27 with 3:28 left before halftime. Kellen Brand has 9 points to lead the Mountaineers. UNCG forward DeAngelo Jackson has picked up three fouls in the half, which should help open up the paint for Ike Butts who is scoreless thus far but has four rebounds. Three ASU players, Butts, Abraham, and Bermudez each have a pair of fouls, which has forced Coach Fancher to juggle his lineup on the fly, a factor which may also be contributing to the inconsistent scoring on the offensive end.
4:20 PM - UNCG takes a quick timeout with 35 seconds left before intermission. The Spartans lead by a single point at 31-30 as the first half has to rank as one of ASU's worst of the season to date. THe Spartans have shot the basketball at around 40 percent, while Appalachian has fell off from its 60% clip in the second half of Thursday's contest. At halftime the score stands at 31-30 in favor of UNCG.
4:30 PM - Halftime from the Black Hole. Here are a few stats:
ASU shot 39.3% from the field for the half. Kellen Brand's 11 points led the Mountaineers, while Ryann Abraham added 8 points. UNCG shot 42.9% from the field for the half, with Damian Eargle's 12 points leading the Spartans.
Second half action to come!
The second half has started off very physically as players have went to the floor multiple times and some tempers have flared. The contest is tied at 36 with 17:45 to go.
4:45 PM -The under 16:00 media timeout finds the score 40-38 in favor of UNCG. The contest appears destined to finish down to the wire. A big hustle play on a missed free throw resulted in a Bermudez three-pointer to give ASU back the lead at 41-40, prompting the Spartans to take a 30-second timeout.
4:50 PM - Big man Pete Brown has picked up a fourth foul trying to guard Isaac Butts inside. Add that to four fouls on DeAngelo Jackson, and the Mountaineers should be feeding the ball inside. Abraham drives for a bucket, then a UNCG turnover finds ASU leading 45-44 at the 14:06 mark.
4:55 PM - UNCG runs an alley-oop and get a three-point play out of it as Isaac Butts picks up his fourth foul on the play. Butts goes to the bench, which is a blow to the interior offense and defense of the Black and Gold.
5:00 PM - 11:10 remains in the game and the Spartans lead it by a point at 47-46. The game continues to be back-and-forth as ASU has been a model of inconsistency throughout the half and pretty much the entire game to this point. Appalachian is only 6 of 12 from the free throw line, while UNCG is shooting 45% from the field for the game, 50% in this half.
5:05 PM - Brown fouls out on a drive by Ryann Abraham, while Butts remains on the ASU bench saddled with his own 4 foul baggage. 9:;00 to go, Spartans lead 52-50. A pair of Appalachian three-pointers gives the Mountaineers a three-point edge at 55-52 with 7:46 remaining.
In the way of information, join us back here at the Blog on Monday night as National Player of the Year candidate Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats come to Boone to take on the Mountaineers. The AJ-T will be courtside with full game coverage and photos from the SoCon Showdown!
Appalachian has turned up the defensive pressure off of the media timeout and scored five straight points for its biggest lead of the game at 60-54 with 7:01 left to play. The Spartans take a 30 second timeout to try and stymie the ASU momentum.
Damian Eargle has 21 points tl lead all scorers, while Abraham and Sims are in double-figures scoring with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
5:15 PM - final media timeout of the game with 3:50 remaining. Appalachian leads UNCG 65-60. Josh Hunter leads the Mountaineers with eight rebounds, but the Spartans' 45.7% FG shooting effort has kept them in the ballgame. Butts is back in for the Mountaineers for the stretch run with his four fouls.
A three-pointer by Koivisto following a layup by UNCG ties the game at 65 with 2:43 remaining in the game. Appalachian takes a timeout to talk things over in the huddle. Both teams are in the bonus with fouls. ASU will shoot two on every foul, while UNCG is still in the 1-and-1 situation.
Out of the timeout, a Ryann Abraham '3' from the corner gives the lead back to ASU, but a 3-point answer by Montel Smith of UNCG ties it back up at 68. An Abraham miss for 3 is rebounded by UNCG as the clock ticks under 1:40 to go. Daniel Oliver is fouled by App's Ryann Abraham, and he goes to the line for the one-and-one foul opportunity. Oliver makes one of two from the line for a one-point edge with 1:15 and counting to go.
A feed inside from Wright to Ike Butts results in a layup down low as we go under a minute App leads 70-69. UNCG answers as Ben Stywall converts down low for a bucket and Josh Hunter fouls on the shot. Stywall misses the three-point play opportunity to leave the Spartans up by one at 71-70. A shot inside by Butts misses inside and a battle down low results in the ball going out of bounds to stay with ASU. Coach Fancher takes a timeout with 38.2 seconds left. UNCG leads 71-70.
5:22 PM - ASU 's pass inside to Butts is stolen by Eargle and the Spartans start playing Keep Away. Donald Sims runs down Koivisto and fouls him. Koivisto goes to the line for two free throws with 23.1 seconds to go. The Spartan from Finland makes his first free throw to give UNCG a 72-70 lead, then hits the second shot to push the lead to 73-70. App will still have a shot to tie the game if they wish to try for the three-point shot with this key possession.
AT THE HORN, Donald Sims throws up a desparation three-point basket off balance, hits the ground, and THE SHOT FALLS TO TIE THE GAME AT 73-73!!! The Holmes Center erupts as the game is sent to OT! The officials confer and rule the shot was GOOD! Sims had taken the first shot which barely drew front iron. Butts battled to get the ball then kicked it back out to Sims who drained the unbelievable shot to tie it up and send the game to OVERTIME! Five more minutes of free basketball from the Black Hole.
5:27 PM - Hunter scores down low for the first basket of overtime, and Koivisto answers with a three-pointer to put UNCG up 76-75.
UNCG holds on defense and Koivisto is fouled on the offensive end for free throws. The junior hits both free throws to give the Spartans the 78-75 lead at the 3:37 mark of OT.
Ike Butts scores down low to cut the deficit to 78-77 UNCG leading. The teams trade possessions and Hunter is fouled on the inside. Josh hits the first free throw to tie it up again at 78, then hits the second to give ASU the lead back at 79-78 with 2:30 and counting to go.
Koivisto's three-pointer goes begging and Hunter rebounds. ASU can't convert on the offensive end and Stywall scores down low for the Spartans to give the lead back to UNCG at 80-79 at the 1:40 mark. Ike Butts calls for the ball down low, gets it, and scores on the block, giving the Mountaineers the lead at 81-80. Time out is called for by ASU after the make. 1:36 remains in the overtime as ASU looks to stay unbeaten in the SoCon.
On a side note, I believe this blogger called this game a possible 'trap game' (see paragraph 2 above). Not sure if App overlooked UNCG or if the Spartans really pulled everything together today, but this one has been a battle throughout!
Koivisto for three, was rebounded and scored by Eargle, putting UNCG up 82-81 with under a minute to go. App needs a basket to tie it up or a three to take the lead.
5:35 PM -- Bermudez takes a three pointer that hits back iron. The Spartans grab the rebound and Eargle is fouled with 26.5 seconds left. Eargle hits the first foul shot to make the score 83-81 Spartans. His second shot rattles, hits back and front rim, then falls in to make the score 84-81. Time out on the floor. Appalachian trails 84-81. They will have 26.5 seconds to either take a quick two and foul, or set up a final three-point shot to try to send the game into a second extra session.
Abraham goes up for a shot and on the rebound attempt Kellen Brand falls awkwardly, bringing the crowd to a hush. Brand is favoring his right leg an dis in obvious pain under the ASU goal.
14.3 seconds remain in the game as the trainers attend to Brand, who has scored 11 points. He is helped off the court by a pair of the training staff as Abraham goes to the line to shoot two free throws. Abraham drains the first shot, cutting it to 84-82, and hits the second to cut the lead to one.
ASU gets a foul on Stywall who has a pair of pressure free throws at the :09 mark. The junior misses the first free throw and hits the second for a two-point lead. Time out called by UNCG to set up its defense with an 85-83 lead.
A shot put up by Wright falls after a drive by the Mountaineers into the lane. The three-pointer is good, but it is after the final horn, giving the Spartans the 85-83 overtime win on the road for their second win of the season. A tough way for the Apps to lose this one.
6:00 PM - The Spartans were 317th in the nation in turnovers per game, but the team committed only 10 turnovers in the game. Appalachian was led by four players in double-figures. Ryann Abraham scored 21 to lead the team, with 15 from Donald Sims, and 11 each from Isaac Butts and Kellen Brand. Freshman Damian Eargle led UNCG with 25 points in the win, the most points since Scott Hartsell scored 25 in an overtime game against Chicago State back in 1993. Ben Stywall scored 19 with 16 by Mikko Koivisto.
ASU falls to 6-6 and 3-1 in SoCon play heading to Monday's showdown with Davidson. Kellen Brand's diagnosis following the game has been labelled as a strained foot and is listed as day-to-day.
"We have to score with them," Coach Houston Fancher said postgame in reference to Davidson. "We have to make sure to put points on the board. I think our offense has to be as efficient as its been all year long because Davidson doesn't give you room to breathe when you make mistakes."
We'll be back on the Blog on Monday night for what shapes up to be a great matchup with the Wildcats at the Black Hole.
Thanks again to Josh Bare for his help with photography for this afternoon's contest. We'll have more photos posted later this evening.
