January 28, 1997

Lady Mountaineers come from behind in Statesboro for win
Danny Sink
Staff Writer

This past Saturday the Lady Mountaineers showed why they are still the premier team in the Southern Conference. The Mountaineers fell 13 points behind in the first half against Georgia Southern but come storming back in the second half to win by 15 in Statesboro 85-70.

The Mountaineers kept it close early in the first half. However, by the eleven minute mark their deficit mounted to 10 points.

The Mountaineers didn't throw in the towl. They cut the Georgia Southern lead to as little as four with only 5:12 left in the first half.

Dispite the efforts in the first half, the last couple of minutes of the half must still seem like a blur to the Apps. With just under five minutes in the half the Eagles mounted a 15-6 run to push their lead up to 44-31 going into the locker room.

In the second half the Eagles came out strong, pushing their lead to 17 before Appalachian was able to break out with a run of its own. Nailing five three pointers within the next ten minutes, the Apps came charging back. At the 9:52 mark Melissa Davis knocked down a three-pointer that gave the Mountaineers their first lead in the second half, a lead they never gave up.

From there, the Mountaineers cruised to a 15-point victory. The Apps shot an impressive 57.1 percent (8/14) from behind the three-point arc, and a went 74.4 percent (29/39) from the charity stripe.

The Mountaineers were led in scoring by Meredith Thompson and Erica Mathies who both put up 18 points. Andreia Hinton rung up a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, Three other players also hit double digits in scoring including, Tiana Tate with 13 points, Melissa Davis with 11, and Noel Dolan scored 10, nine of which came on three-pointers. Dolan also led the Mountaineers with six assists.

The Mountaineers now stand at 11-7 overall and 4-2 in the conference. After returning from Chattanooga Tuesday, the Mountaineers will have a couple days off before they face Western Carolina Saturday in Varsity Gym. Tip off is scheduled for 2:00.

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App grapplers win at home over Mocs
David Jackson
Staff Writer

Maybe there is something to be said for "home court advantage", or in this case "home mat advantage."

With only one win in eight matches away from the friendly confines of Varsity Gymnasium, the Mountaineers won their fourth dual match in a row on the home floor, defeating conference rival Tennessee-Chattanooga 25-10 Saturday afternoon. Over the past two seasons the App grapplers have taken eight of their last 10 contests at home, including five of the last six.

Coach Paul Mance's appeared ready to run away with Saturday's match in the early bouts. The Mountaineers won the first four matches in a row, posting a 15-0 lead heading into the 150 lb. match.

With Appalachian's Ryan Prentince winning by forfeit at 118 lbs., what would turn out to be the match of the day followed. Grove, Okla. native David Hopper battled a shoulder injury sustained in the first period to defeat UTC's Andy Cook in a 9-3 decision in the 126 lb. weight class. Hopper, 2-8 in dual competition, winced in pain after every move through the final two periods, but relied on spirts of energy to win the bout.

At 134 lbs., Mountaineer Jeremy Hart became the squad's first 20-match winner as he outlasted Adrian Botchlet in a 6-4 decision. Hart, down 3-0 early in the match, scored six straight points in the match and held off a late surge by Botchlet for the win.

With Appalachian leading 15-0, the Mocs finally got on the board in the 150 lb. bout. UTC's Heath Eslinger recorded three take-downs in the final period to win by major decision over ASU's John Mance, cutting the score to 15-4.

Mountaineer junior Carl Barton thwarted the Mocs comeback with a major decision victory at 158 lbs. over Adam Duncan, paving the way for the return of 1996 NCAA qualifier Derek Strobel.

Strobel, inactive for the past six weeks due to a knee injury, picked up where he left off at the time of his injury by defeating UTC's Dante Berlingeri in a 9-3 decision. With the win, Strobel ran his record to 8-1 at 167 lbs., and 11-2 overall.

The Mountaineers and Moccasins split the last four matches, securing the win for the App grapplers. The victory gives Appalachian an early advantage in the conference title chase. The two squads have been responsible for the past eleven Southern Conference titles, with the Mountaineers taking the last two.

"We needed to come out and wrestle with intensity and we did," Mance said. "Our guys really supported each other today, and that really was the key."

On the return of Strobel, Mance added "With Strobel back, our lineup is a little more solidified. We showed that we have a decent wrestling team and we can compete for the conference championship."

Appalachian will attempt to pick up their fifth home win in a row Saturday as they host UNC-Greensboro in a key Southern Conference battle. The first match is slated for 7:00 p.m.

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Hey Mountaineer fans; Varsity Gymnasium shouldn't sound like Belk Library
Justin Griffin
Assistant Sports Editor

Last Tuesday night, I went to Charlotte to cover the UNC Charlotte-Cincinnati game. The fans were all decked out in green, shouting obscenities at the opposing team, booing the likes of Cincinnati forward Danny Fortson, shouting "Overrated!" repeatedly, almost like it was personal. I was sitting on press row, trying to fit into the little area I had been assigned, listening to what seemed to be a 70 year old lady spit out a stream of curse words, all directed at Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins. As you should be able to tell by now, Halton Arena is truly a hostile environment for any visiting team.

It would be nice if things were even remotely like this in the confines of Varsity Gymnasium. Our students can be just as rabid, can't they? WRONG! Guess again. Appalachian students resemble the wine and cheese crowd one would run into at a golf match. The main difference being golf crowds occasionally clap and cheer once in a while..

This year, the men's basketball team has managed to beat some teams that have destroyed past Mountaineer teams. Earlier this year, Appalachian traveled to Cullowhee and beat Western Carolina, last year's Southern Conference tournament champion. More recently, Appalachian soundly thrashed Davidson, last year's regular season conference champion. The Mountaineers swept UNC Greensboro in regular season play, a team that has been atop the Big South for years. I can only scratch my head and wonder. What the hell does it take to garner any interest on this campus?

Sitting in Varsity Gymnasium watching the Mountaineers play often seems like being at attendance at a home game at the North Carolina School for the Deaf. The whole concept of fans is somewhat silly to me; from the beginning of the year, I've thought we were letting the homeless into the games for free so they could stay warm. The sad truth is this: The students at the Mountaineer games get outcheered by the alumni, who look like they are knocking on death's door. Maybe we should start giving out free seats to the people at the Brian Estates (the local rest home).

Just about anywhere the Mountaineers go on the road there is a decided home advantage for the other team. For instance, in Charlotte, a whole fraternity sits right above the visiting team's bench and jeers them the whole game. After the game Cincinnati Coach Bob Huggins complained about the fans. "It's not fun to sit there and listen to them talk about your mother, your children and everything else," Huggins said after the game. This all doesn't seem very nice, but to me it demonstrates that people can get up for non- ACC basketball.

There are rednecks who I look at and think to myself "Did he go to ANY college?" sitting on the front row and hurling insults at the referees the whole game. I am not saying that our fans should go after the referees, Other coaches might complain about the crowds and how personal things get, but hey, that's what they get paid the big bucks for. getting jeered should be part of the job description for any coach, especially when the coach is on the road.

I love it when I'm at a game and it feels like the fans are so livid they're going to charge the court at any minute. My friends, that's what is called a home court advantage. All this season, with the exception of the Davidson contest, Appalachian has been playing home games that should have been considered neutral court games.

It's impossible to understand why there are people who would rather watch a North Carolina team that is three hundred miles away lose on a given night than to watch their own school play a tightly contested game at Varsity Gym, only a hop and a skip away.

To all you Dallas Cowboy, Chicago Bull, and Tar Heel fans, I know you are always looking for a winning team to root for. The Appalachian State men's basketball team is starting to turn the corner. There will be a bandwagon. Why wait? Get on now! Be among the first.

There are three home games left. Like it or not, everyone who attends class here has already paid to go see the games. It's not like anyone needs to buy a ticket or spend any money. Unlike some schools, all that is needed is your time and enthusiasm.

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Mountaineers fall to Marshall, 70-67 in Huntington
Justin Griffin
Assistant Sports Editor

Kareem Livingston and Junior Braswell scored 18 points apiece in a losing effort as the Thundering Herd of Marshall tip toed past the Mountaineers 70-67 Saturday night in Huntington. Down 70-67, The Mountaineers had a chance to win the game in the last 30 seconds, but ended up passing the chance away as Braswell threw up an errant shot in the last seconds.

"Kareem had an unbelievable first half. He was doing just about anything he wanted to." Said Appalachian's Coach Buzz Peterson on the play of Livingston. Other than Livingston and Braswell, Tige Darner also scored in double digits with 16 points on 3 of 7 three point shooting.

The effort for the game left Peterson anything but disappointed. "I'm pleased with the effort of the team," Peterson remarked, " we were very physical and extremely aggressive." Despite Marshall building leads of nine, 10 and 11 points respectively, the Mountaineers kept clawing back.

The loss is a hard one to take, but with the physical play and the aggressiveness of the Mountaineers it seems like Appalachian found a dent in the armor of Marshall. In the North Division of the Southern Conference the race is going to come down to Marshall and Appalachian State.

Virginia Military Institute, the other contender for the North Division title, has run into problems with key players Andre Quarles and Brent Connelly out for the rest of the season. The loss hurts, especially since Brent Connelly is the team's leading scorer. The two were suspended for not adhering to military regulations. They were suspended from the school for two semesters, but ended up getting a semester knocked off through appeals. Both will return next year.

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