by CORY WATSON
Sports Editor

At this point in a basketball season, a team’s record doesn’t matter much anymore.

Now it’s just winning, or a team’s season-long hopes and aspirations for a championship come to an end.

Appalachian State University’s men’s basketball team will be looking to keep their season alive Friday afternoon when they take on Georgia Southern University (8-21, 5-15)  in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament.

“Every team has the same goal in mind,” Appalachian head coach Houston Fancher said. “And that’s to be playing at the end of the tournament on Monday.”

Fancher didn’t seem entirely pleased with the weekend’s results.

“We had mixed results this weekend,” Fancher said. “We had decent play at times and had took a couple of steps backwards at times.”

The loss broke the momentum created by a win Feb. 26 over division-leader Chattanooga and capped off a season full of ups and downs.

The most painful negative to bear for the Mountaineers would likely be their 12-17 record, which dropped noticeably from last season’s mark of 18-13.

Appalachian also struggled to find a way to win close games, with 11 of their losses coming by scoring margins of single figures.

Despite their struggles, the Mountaineers have proven they have the talent and ability to compete with just about anyone in the conference, including conference titans Davidson College and College of Charleston.

It’s an ability the Mountaineers will be hoping to capitalize on going into Friday’s game against the Eagles.

“I think we’ve experienced just about everything you can experience down the stretch of a ballgame,” Fancher said. “I would hope that it would factor into it in a way that if we do get in that close situation again, we will know how to handle it.”

The Mountaineers will have several weapons in their disposal Friday.

Kellen Brand, who finished the regular season averaging 15 points per game, leads the team in scoring and will play a pivotal role in the outcome of the game.

Brand’s fellow guard Donald Sims could also play an important role. The sophomore finished his season averaging 13.2 points per game while finishing third overall in 3-point baskets made behind only Davidson’s Stephen Curry and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Stephen McDowell.

The Eagles enter the game in the midst of a three-game losing streak to conclude their regular season.

The Citadel defeated Georgia Southern handily Monday evening, 74-53. 

Considering the way Georgia Southern has struggled in its past several games and the fact the Mountaineers walked away with a win over the Eagles Feb. 2 95-82, it could be easy for the Mountaineers to overlook them.

But Fancher said he felt what happened in the season wouldn’t matter much in the upcoming game.

“I don’t think [what happened earlier matters],” Fancher said. “There’s a lot of things that could factor into it. But I don’t think the previous games would because at this point in time, it’s kind of a one-and-done situation for every team playing.”

Appalachian begins play at 2 p.m.

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