By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — With over 7,000 fans in attendance, App State looked to make history when they faced Arkansas State on March 1. The Mountaineers secured their program-record 26th win over the Red Wolves, 80-57.

Tre’Von Spillers recorded his tenth double-double of the season, netting 15 points and matching that total with 15 rebounds. Seniors Donovan Gregory and CJ Huntley scored 15 and 12, respectively, in their final game at the Holmes Center. Gregory added on a game-best four assists.

Arkansas State was led by a 14-point performance from Taryn Todd, while Izaiyah Nelson grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.

For the second game in a row, the Mountaineers imposed their will early. App State opened the game with 11 of the contest’s first 13 points, quickly jumping out to a nine-point lead. Arkansas State brought the game back to within three points later in the first half, but App State responded with a 10-0 run. The Mountaineers went into the locker room with a 14-point advantage at the half.

With just 20 minutes separating App State from program immortality, energy in the Holmes Center was at fever pitch. Although the Red Wolves tried to mount a comeback, the Mountaineers put any hopes the visitors had to bed. With a comfortable 23-point lead, App State called a timeout with just under a minute on the clock. Gregory and Huntley each walked off the court and head coach Dustin Kerns gave the nod to fellow senior Bryant Greene. With each of the 7,074 fans on their feet, Greene walked onto the floor for the final time as a Mountaineer. 

App State’s victory marked their program-record 26th win of the 2023-24 season. The Mountaineers also secured sole possession of a regular season title for the first time in nearly 50 years, while capping an unblemished record on home court. Kerns spoke on the significance of his team’s historic victory, postgame.

“Just an awesome night for App State University and our athletic program, and certainly our basketball program,” Kerns said. “Setting the program mark for wins with 26, [most in] program history, is a big deal. First Sun Belt regular season championship, first regular season championship since 1978, that’s a long time.”

Fresh off his team’s 26th win, Kerns was asked to compare this season to other significant campaigns in App State’s history.

“I don’t want to discount those other great teams,” Kerns said. “They’ve been here, you know, there’s different conferences or different schedules. Certainly by the numbers, we’ve had the most wins in program history. So I think we’ve joined the conversation, but there’ve been some really good teams that have come through here and we’re excited to be celebrating with all of them.”

“This has been very surreal”

Bryant Greene played in his final regular season game as a Mountaineer in App State’s victory over Arkansas State. Greene compared the atmosphere in the Holmes Center this season to his freshman year.

“This has been very surreal,” Greene said. “I think for all of us, especially for me and Don [Gregory] getting here freshman year, coming to games and seeing like 400 people in the gym and now, getting to senior night in our fifth year and there’s 6,000 people and we’re playing for a regular season title. It’s just very surreal and a very amazing experience.”

App State also set a program record in attendance over the course of the 2023-24 season. Fans at the Holmes Center never saw a loss at home. Gregory explained what it means to the players to have that support from the fans.

“I think it’s just a direct correlation, how good we played at home,” Gregory said. “Just having those fans, having that support, it just makes you want to go out there and play even harder. I think everybody coming to the games is a big part of the reason why we went undefeated at home.”

CJ Huntley echoed that appreciation for the fanbase.

“This just feels crazy, really,” Huntley said. “Just all the students and fans and everything like that, just their support for us. It just means the world to me, so I appreciate it.”

App State shot at a 49 percent clip to secure their historic win, besting Arkansas State’s 35 percent mark. The Mountaineers out-rebounded the Red Wolves, 48-38, and improved on their nation-best blocks per game with seven swatted shots. App State never trailed Arkansas State.

The Red Wolves are locked in the No. 4 seed for the upcoming Sun Belt tournament, securing the last double-bye. Arkansas State’s quarterfinals matchup is set for March 9 at 2 p.m. Central Time, with the opponent to be announced following the March 7 second round games. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+.

App State clinched the Sun Belt regular season title with their win over the Red Wolves. The Mountaineers return to action March 9 at 11:30 a.m. Central Time, with their opponent to be determined. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

By David Rogers. LENOIR, N.C. — It was a clear, chilly day, but all six members of Watauga High School Men’s Golf team finished nine holes at Cedar Rock Country Club within four shots of each other on Feb. 29, capturing first place team honors in the non-conference  competition.

Led by Jake Warren and Elliot Holcomb each shooting a 41, the Pioneers collectively recorded the low team score of 168, four strokes ahead of Hibriten, who claim Cedar Rock as their “home course.”

“We are off to a solid start this year,” said Watauga men’s coach Klay Anderson. “We return five of our top six players from last year and have won our first four non-conference matches in 2024. We also have some new players who are great additions to the team. Altogether, the boys are focused on trying to improve on our third place conference finish a year ago.”

Team Scores

1. Watauga (168)
2. Hibriten (172)
3. North Wilkes (179)
4. South Caldwell (181)
5. Wilkes Central (188)
6. West Wilkes (198)

Watauga Individual Scores

• Jake Warren (41)
• Elliot Holcomb (41)
• Chris Moore (43)
• Dylan Taylor (43)
• Bryson Hawkins (44)
• JB Harris (45)

By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — Looking to clinch the top seed in a conference tournament for the first time in nearly half a century, App State faced Old Dominion at the Holmes Center Feb. 28. The Mountaineers picked up their 25th win of the 2023-24 season, defeating the Monarchs, 89-64.

App State was firing on all cylinders, securing a dominating victory. Four Mountaineers scored in the double figures, led by an 18-point, 16-rebound double-double courtesy of Tre’Von Spillers. Christopher Mantis netted 12 points while Donovan Gregory and Terence Harcum posted 11 each to round out the home side’s top scorers.

Old Dominion saw 15-point performances from Tyrone Williams and Chaunce Jenkins. Williams was the top rebounder for the Monarchs, grabbing five boards.

The game began with a scoring drought of nearly three minutes from both sides. Gregory’s opening layup then opened the floodgates for the Mountaineers, who went on to score 24 of the contest’s first 28 points. With a comfortable 20-point margin, App State remained focused through the rest of the first half. The Mountaineers extended their lead at the end of the period, treating the 4,785 home fans to a 25-point halftime lead.

ODU looked to rally in the second half. The Monarchs drew the game to within 15 points, but App State immediately put thoughts of a miraculous comeback to bed via their ensuing 11-0 run. The Mountaineers dominated ODU, defeating the visitors by 25.

App State head coach Dustin Kerns shared his thoughts on the Mountaineers’ convincing win over Old Dominion.

“I thought we came out with some fire in our eyes,” Kerns said. “I thought we came out and imposed our will early, I thought it was very balanced, I thought we set the tone defensively. We had nine assists before we had a turnover and I thought we played a really good game.”

In recent games, App State has found themselves trailing in the second half, but have prevailed due to their depth. Kerns spoke on his team’s ability to jump in front early against Old Dominion.

“It felt good tonight to be up 25 at the half, which we’ve done before in non-conference,” Kerns said. “I was proud of our guys for coming out with some attitude from the start. It really felt like our guys came out and they knew they had a job to do.”

“they couldn’t keep me off the glass”

Tre’Von Spillers led the Mountaineers’ dominant effort on the glass in their statement victory, grabbing a season-high 16 rebounds. Spillers talked about his impressive performance.

“We saw that at some points they had small guards,” Spillers said. “I just felt like that’s a better opportunity for me to go and grab rebounds. Even when they had their bigs in, I still feel like they couldn’t keep me off the glass. Just going in there with the energy that I play with, it helped us a lot tonight.”

App State’s victory over Old Dominion secured the top seed in the upcoming Sun Belt Tournament for the Mountaineers. The Black and Gold also clinched at least a share of the conference regular season title. Kerns spoke on what it means for the program to be at the top of the league.

“I think it’s a bigger deal than maybe a lot of people realize, us finishing first in the regular season with at least a share,” Kerns said. “We control our own destiny with that. When you talk about Sun Belt basketball and you talk about App State basketball being on top, that’s a big deal.”

As a team, App State shot at an impressive 51 percent clip, compared to ODU’s 38 percent mark. The Mountaineers out-rebounded the Monarchs, 47-27, and held the visitors without a single second-chance point. Once App State gained the lead, they never lost it, earning a wire-to-wire victory over Old Dominion.

“you talk about App State basketball being on top, that’s a big deal”

With the loss, ODU is secured in the bottom spot of the Sun Belt standings. The Monarchs travel to Georgia Southern March 1 for their regular-season finale. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.

App State clinched at least a share of the Sun Belt regular season title with their win over the Monarchs. The Mountaineers look to break the program record for wins in a season March 1, as they take on fourth-place Arkansas State on Senior Night. Tipoff for the potentially historic night at the Holmes Center is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It took almost three minutes before either host App State or visiting Old Dominion found the bottom of a net at the Holmes Convocation Center on Feb. 28, but once the Mountaineers’ Donovan Gregory rolled in a layup, App State didn’t know how to stop.

And, they played defense, too. When Tre’Von Spillers electrified the crowd with a dunk and Christopher Mantis elevated the pandemonium with a “three” just 16 seconds later, App State led 24-4 and led coast-to-coast in this 89-64 AppNation thriller.

Almost 5,000 people (4,785) witnessed what can only be called a “statement” game by the Mountaineers. If anyone doubted their supremacy at the top of the Sun Belt Conference in 2024, they should be thinking again after this performance. Now in his fifth year of building the App State men’s hoops program, Dustin Kerns brought together a balanced team featuring three big men in Spillers, Justin Abson, and C J Huntley, and surrounded them with perimeter shooters who can also drive fearlessly down the lane in Terence Harcum, Myles Tate, Donovan Gregory, Xavion Brown, Jordan Marsh and Christopher Mantis.

With the win, App State tied the program record of 25 wins in a season. The earlier team was in 2006-07, when the Mountaineers went 25-8. Houston Fancher was the App State head coach then and the team was competing in the Southern Conference.

App State also secured the No. 1 seed for the Sun Belt Conference tournament that begins next week in Pensacola, Fla. It marks the first time for a one seed in a conference tournament since 1978-79. During that campaign competing in the SoCon, the Mountaineer lineup featured centers Mel Hubbard (6-8) and Charles Payton (6-5), as well as guard Darryl Robinson and forward Renaldo Lawrence.

The home win in the Holmes Center was the 14th straight, tying the facility’s record for wins in a season with one more game to play on Friday, Mar. 1.

Among the most impressive stats for Wednesday’s home game against Old Dominion was “zero,” reflecting the number of second chance points scored by the Monarchs. Afterward, Spillers told reporters that it is being first to the ball on a missed shot. In other words, rebounding.

“You have to hit first,” said Spillers. “That’s the biggest thing in rebounding is to hit first on defensive rebounds so they don’t get a second chance.”

Overall, the Mountaineers outrebounded the Monarchs by 20 (47-27), including Spillers recording his ninth double-double of the season — and he did it by the first half when he took 11 points and 12 rebounds into the locker room at intermission.

Helping the Mountaineers gain scoring separation vs. the Monarch were three made 3-pointers by Christopher Mantis within roughly three minutes around the midpoint of the first half. His third “three” at the 9:51 mark of the opening half gave App State a 22-point lead at 32-10. With Gregory, Spillers and Tate leading the way for the rest of the half, the Mountaineers closed to a 25-point lead at the half, 51-26. The 51 first half points was the most the Mountaineers have scored against a Division I opponent during the current campaign.

Now with a 6-game winning streak (14 consecutive wins at the Holmes Center), App State will look to turn back the 4th-place Arkansas State Red Wolves on Fri., March 1, 6:30 p.m. It is also Senior Night, when the Mountaineers will celebrate the careers of Donovan Gregory, Bryant Greene and C J Huntley.

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By Matt Present. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — App State used a pair of big innings offensively, climbing out of an early hole in the third and taking the lead in the seventh, on their way to a 9-6 win over ETSU on Feb. 27 at Thomas Stadium.

Trailing 4-1 after two innings of play, App State (7-1) came back to tie the score in the third. CJ Boyd led off with a single off the second base bag, and Austin St. Laurent was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Banks Tolley then ripped a double to the left-center field gap to score Boyd. One batter later, Braxton Church lined a gapper in a similar spot to plate a pair and tie the score at 4-4.

After the Bucs regained the lead with a two-run sixth, App State was quick to answer in the top of the seventh. After Joseph Zamora was hit by a pitch to begin the frame, the lineup turned over for Boyd, who clobbered his fourth home run of the season to straight away left field to tie the score.

St. Laurent then followed with a single up the middle to continue the rally, and Tolley belted his second double of the ballgame one batter later to give the Mountaineers their first lead of the contest. Tolley came into score later in the inning on a wild pitch to give the Mountaineers an 8-6 lead.

Grey LaSpaluto (win, 1-0) picked up the win in relief, striking out four batters in 2.1 innings of work while allowing just one hit and no walks.

Tyler Tuthill also allowed just an unearned run in his second outing of the season, striking out two, while Zach Lewis (save, 1) earned the team’s first save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning of work.

Tolley finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate, adding a home run in the ninth inning, his third of the season, to provide App State an insurance run. The Mountaineers have now hit 16 home runs though eight games on the season.

App State makes the trek to Carbondale, Ill. For a three-game weekend series against Southern Illinois. First pitch on Friday is set for 7 p.m. ET, with the middle game on Saturday slated for 3 p.m. The series finale against the Salukis is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.

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By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — In the first half of Watauga’s Feb. 27 first round matchup against Reagan (Pffaftown) in the 2024 state playoffs, the Pioneers allowed the Raiders to score almost willy-nilly from inside the paint and had trouble executing their preferred, up-tempo, transition style of play. With some critical halftime adjustments, Watauga all but forced Reagan to attack from the perimeter — and reignited their fast-paced play in transition pull even at 38-38 in the third quarter and push ahead to a 73-64 victory.

Both teams appeared evenly matched at the beginning, though Reagan seemed to have the edge. Perhaps the Pioneers recalled having been defeated by the Raiders earlier in the year, but as the local quintet grew more confident, the tide shifted. Watauga outscored Reagan, 47-35 after halftime to win the day.

Much of the second half rally was fueled by the play of sophomore guard Cade Keller. His and teammate Josiah Railey’s respective 9-point second quarters gave momentum to the Pioneers going into the break, offsetting a 10-point performance by Reagan’s K J Ford in the period. Railey, Keller and senior forward Wyatt Kohout broke things open, however, after the break. A Railey “dunk” in the third period seemed energize the Pioneers, whose outlet passes from defensive rebound to a sprinting Maddox Greene, Keller, or Railey to bring the ball upcourt in transition attack overwhelmed the Raider defensive efforts.

Watauga only recorded four 3-pointers in this game, two by Keller in the second half. The rest of the time they were finishing fast breaks with successful drives to the basket — or getting fouled by this or that Raider for a free trip to the charity stripe.

Give Reagan credit. The No. 26 seeded Raiders stayed in this game until the bitter end. Ford finished the night with a game-high 26 points, but only got serious help from Jayden McCrae (12 points). Meanwhile, Keller, Railey, Kohout and senior center/forward Jackson Pryor tallied, 23, 20, 13 and 13, respectively to lead the Pioneers.

With the win, No. 8 seeded Watauga earns the right to host No. 9 Independence on Mar. 1. The winner advances to face either top-seeded Myers Park or No. 16 Ardrey Kell.

In Round 1, No. 1 Myers Park defeated No. 32 Mallard Creek, 82-45; No. 16 Ardrey Kell edged No. 16 Southwest Guilford, 70-68; and No. 9 Independence dispatched No. 24 Cox Mill, 70-63.

“Our guys were inspired by a pre-game article by High School OT suggesting that this was the most likely upset of the first round,” said Pioneer head coach Bryson Payne. “That didn’t sit too well with them.”

Biggest upset in the West bracket from the first round undoubtedly goes to No. 27 Marvin Ridge, a 62-47 winner over No. 6-seeded McDowell, in Marion.