GREENSBORO, N.C. – For the first time since 2019, the App State Mountaineers (8-2) head to Greensboro, N.C., for a neutral site bout with in-state rival Gardner-Webb (5-6) on Saturday at the Novant Health Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
The Mountaineers are set to continue their three-game stretch in cities within 120 miles of Boone on Saturday. App State traveled down to Charlotte last Wednesday, defeating Queens 93-81, and will head to Hickory on Dec. 21, to take on UNC Asheville at the Tarlton Complex in their next contest.
With an 8-2 record through the first 10 games, App State is off to its best start since Tom Apke’s squad started 10-1 in the 1988-89 season. Additionally, the Mountaineers are on a seven-game winning streak, which is the first win streak of seven or more games since 2007-08.
Because of the strong start, the Mountaineers have found themselves all over the national rankings this week. Coming into play on Saturday, Coach Kerns’ squad is the 45th-best team in the NCAA NET rankings, which is the highest ranking in program history, while also being the ninth-best team in this week’s CollegeInsider Mid Major Top 25.
The Matchup
- Who: App State vs. Gardner-Webb
- Where: Novant Health Fieldhouse // Greensboro, N.C.
- When: Saturday, December 16 // 4 p.m.
Tune In
- Listen: 97.3 WKBC, 96.5/1450 WATA, 790/93.7 WETB, 1250/103.9 WBRM
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com
Last Time Out
In a high-scoring affair, App State took down Queens at Curry Arena 93-81, marking the Black & Gold’s first true road win of the season. The Mountaineers’ offensive outburst was just the second time that the Black & Gold have scored at least 90 points against a Division I opponent in the Kerns era.
Donovan Gregory and CJ Huntley paced the Mountaineers’ strong offensive night on Wednesday, each scoring 22 points. Huntley’s 22-point night marked a new career high, while the duo of Gregory and Huntley combined to shoot 16-21 from the field and drained all nine free throws they attempted.
App State continued their hot shooting streak as they shot a staggering .557 percent from the floor while also nailing nine threes. The Mountaineers have shot 50 percent or better from the field in four of their last five games.
Scouting the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers come into play on Wednesday riding a seven-game winning streak, which is the second-longest active streak in the Sun Belt. App State has beaten six of its last seven opponents by double-digits and have held at least a 10-point lead in every game during the streak. Additionally, the Mountaineers have trailed for just 24 minutes out of a possible 280 minutes during the streak.
App State plays a complementary style of basketball as they boast the second-largest scoring margin in the Sun Belt at 17.9. The Mountaineers pair the lowest scoring defense with the third-highest scoring offense in the Sun Belt, scoring 81.2 points a game. Furthermore, the Mountaineers come into play on Saturday with the third-lowest opponent field goal percentage in the nation and the second-highest offensive field goal percentage in the SBC.
Coach Kerns boasts one of the deepest squads of his tenure as nine players typically see the floor each night. The Mountaineers have seen at least nine players score a basket in six games to start the season. Fifth-year guard Donovan Gregory leads the charge, averaging 14.0 points per game, but eight players come into play on Saturday averaging at least seven points.
Defensively, the Mountaineers are one of the nation’s best teams at blocking shots this season, averaging 6.9 blocks per game, which is the third-highest mark in the nation. App State currently has two players in the top five in the Sun Belt Conference in blocked shots in Justin Abson (29) and Tre’Von Spillers (16).
Scouting the Bulldogs
Gardner-Webb enters play on Saturday at 5-6 and is coming off a 19-point win against North Greenville last Monday. The Bulldogs have a few notable wins this season, however, as they defeated Weber State, who was previously ranked in the Mid Major Top 25, on Nov. 17, before handing the Western Carolina Catamounts their first loss of the season on Dec. 2. The Catamounts have been as high as 10th in the Mid Major poll this year.
Three Bulldogs enter Saturday averaging over 10 points a game in DQ Nicholas, Anthony Selden and Kareem Reid. Nicholas leads the way, averaging 12.5 points a game.
Bulldog head coach Tim Craft is in his 11th season at the helm of the Gardner-Webb basketball program, compiling 171 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2018-19 season during his stint. Craft is currently the longest-tenured head coach in the Big South Conference.
Series History
Saturday’s game in Greensboro marks the ninth matchup between the Mountaineers and Bulldogs and first matchup since 2003 when the two teams squared off twice. The series itself dates back to 1928 with App State holding a slight 5-3 edge in the series.
Kerns has coached against Gardner-Webb four times in his career, compiling a 1-3 record but has never coached against the Bulldogs at App State. None of the players on the team have ever seen the floor against the Bulldogs in their career.
Next Up
The Mountaineers take to Hickory, N.C., for their next contest where they will welcome UNC Asheville to the Tarlton Complex as part of the Hickory Hoops Classic. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
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