Boone, North Carolina – On Sunday, the App State Mountaineers (5-2), who have won four straight, will host the Auburn Tigers (5-1) at Holmes Center for their first nationally televised game. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.
Sunday’s contest will mark the first time a high-major opponent will visit the High Country since November 2000, when the No. 6 North Carolina Tarheels opened. The Mountaineers have never won against a major league opponent at the Holmes Center. The last time App State defeated a major league opponent on the same floor was in 1993 when the Mountaineers defeated Nebraska at Varsity Gym.
This will be the 30th time the Mountaineers have played a current SEC opponent and the first since December 2020. The Mountaineers have beaten only two current SEC schools in history, the last being the University of Arkansas in 2007.
A win over a Power Five school on Sunday would give the Mountaineers back-to-back wins over a Power Five opponent for the first time since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. The Mountaineers defeated ACC opponent Virginia in the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico in 2006 and defeated Arkansas on the road in 2007.
match up
- Who: App State vs. Auburn
- Location: Holmes Convocation Center // Boone, North Carolina
- When: Sunday, December 3 // 1:00 p.m.
Please tune in
- Watch: ESPN2, ESPN+
- Listening: 97.3 WKBC, 96.5/1450 WATA, 790/93.7 WETB, 1250/103.9 WBRM
- Live stats: appstatesports.com
final timeout
Renewing one of the longest rivalries in program history, the Mountaineers got off to a strong start, defeating the ETSU Buccaneers 72-61 last Wednesday. App State never trailed in this contest, trailing by as many as 20 points.
Trevon Spillers He scored a game-high 15 points, his fourth consecutive game in double-digit scoring, and also grabbed 11 rebounds, his first double-double as a Mountaineer. Spillers is off to a great start in his Mountaineer career, already leading the team in scoring for the fourth time this season on Wednesday.
The Mountaineers continued their streak on Wednesday by shooting an impressive 50 percent from the field, their third time in four games, while holding ETSU to less than 40 percent from the field. App State hasn’t allowed a team to shoot more than 40 percent from the field since Nov. 14 against Oregon State.
Climber’s scout
App State opens Sunday on a four-game winning streak, the second-longest active winning streak in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers have outscored their opponents by a total of 71 points during the winning streak and have outscored each opponent by at least 10 points. Additionally, App State has held a lead of at least 20 points in four of his five wins this year.
The Mountaineers have the third-highest scoring differential in the Sun Belt at 12.3 points and play a complementary style of basketball. App State combines the second-lowest scoring defense and fifth-highest scoring offense in the conference.
Coach Kearns typically sees nine players on the floor each night, boasting one of the deepest teams of his tenure. The Mountaineers have had at least nine players score in four of their seven games to start the season. 5th year security guard donovan gregory They lead the team with an average of 13.1 points per game, but seven players played Sunday and averaged at least seven points.
Defensively, the Mountaineers have been one of the best teams in the nation in blocked shots this season, averaging 6.6 blocks per game, the fourth-best mark in the nation. App State currently has two players in the top three in the Sun Belt Conference in blocked shots in Abson (20) and Spillers (13).
tigers scouting
Auburn comes to the High Country on a four-game winning streak after defeating Virginia Tech as part of its first SEC/ACC Challenge. The Tigers received the seventh-most votes among unranked teams in this week’s AP poll.
Two Tigers players, Joni Bloom and Aiden Holloway, scored in double figures. Bloom leads the team in scoring with 17.8 points per game and paces the team in rebounding with 8.5. Auburn also has a deep team as 10 players on the roster have played in every game this season and five players have scored at least eight points per game. I am.
Tiger head coach Bruce Pearl is in his 10th season at the helm of the program, leading Auburn to four NCAA Tournament appearances and 178 wins. Pearl currently ranks 13th among active head coaches in NCAA Division I championships.
Series history
Sunday’s matchup will be the third time the Mountaineers and Tigers have met. App State he visited Neville Arena in December 2020. This will be Auburn High’s first visit to his country in the program’s history.
donovan gregory and CJ Huntley These are the only two players on the team to see the Tigers play against them in their careers. Gregory played 36 minutes in the 2020 matchup, recording seven points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Four current Tigers have played against the Mountaineers in their careers after switching teams. Jaylin Williams scored a game-high 15 points in the 2020 matchup.
Next is next
Following Sunday’s game, the Mountaineers will conclude a four-game homestand on Tuesday against NCAA Division II opponent Central Penn as part of a doubleheader with the App State women’s team. The women’s game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., with the men’s game approximately 30 minutes later. The matchup will be streamed on ESPN+.