Game #28 - Appalachian State

The App State logo redesign

Having first played in 1928, Western Carolina and Appalachian State are each other's longest running basketball opponents, this is a series that will come to an abrupt ending on Thursday, February 20th, 2014.

On that day, the Catamount basketball team will play in Boone for their final Southern Conference regular season game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.  The Cats are 68-112 overall against App State in the series. The two teams split last season, each winning on their home court, and the stage is set for a similar ending this season, as the Catamounts just edged the Mountaineers in overtime in Cullowhee by a final score of 84-74,

Since that game in Cullowhee, the Mountaineers are 1-1, losing to Wofford and beating Samford, both games were in the Homes Center, while the Cats have gone 2-1, losing to Chattanooga and beating both Furman and UNCG. While ASU has an overall 7-6 home record this season, the Mountaineers are actually just 3-6 in Division I games at the Holmes Center, but the Cats are just 4-10 in away games.

ASU is currently in 8th place in scoring in the SoCon, putting up 70.3 points per game and are in 5th place in scoring defense, giving up 72.8 points per game. The Mountaineers have three players scoring double figures. junior guard Tab Hamilton (6-3, 180) leads ASU in scoring with 13.6 ppg, Jay Canty with 13.1 ppg and junior guard Mike Neal (6-2, 185 lbs) is averaging 10.1 ppg.

Charts Courtesy Daily Catamount

RealTime RPI projects a one point WCU win, 77-76.

RPI:                                 Sagarin:                                 Pomeroy:                               Massey:
WCU - 224                        WCU - 238                              WCU - 243                              WCU - 233
ASU - 338                         ASU -  327                              ASU - 326                               ASU -  333

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