Appalachian State University women’s basketball (21-14) is set for its WBI championship matchup against North Texas (18-15) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. inside the Holmes Center.
Last Time Out
App State earned a second trip to the WBI championship following a 70-57 win over Campbell on Saturday. The Mountaineers held the Camels to just 33.8 percent shooting from the field, while scoring 44 of their points inside the paint and shot 52.9 percent from inside the arc. Madi Story led four players in double figures with a game-high 19 points (13 in the second half) on 7-for-12 shooting from the field. Pre Stanley scored 15 points on an efficient night from the field going 6-of-9 from the floor. Bayley Plummer recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 14 points and a game-high 20 rebounds. In the process, Plummer set the single-season rebounding record with 441 boards. The junior surpassed Valorie Whiteside’s mark of 435 set in 1984-85.
Nation’s Top Turnarounds
The Mountaineers’ 13-win improvement has been nothing short of stellar this season, going from an 8-23 mark in 2017-18 to 21-14 going into Wednesday. It’s been the sixth-best turnaround in the nation going into the WBI final with the Mountaineers and Arizona being the only two teams still playing on the list. App State is one win away from tying the school record for the highest win improvement, which was 14 from 2008-09 to 2009-10.
What to Watch for
– In 11 road games for North Texas, opponents are averaging 20.8 free throw attempts per game. See if the Mountaineers can get to the line on Wednesday.
– In the last three home games, the offense is averaging 78.7 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting and 73.8 percent shooting from the free throw line. Watch if the offense can continue the solid production against the Mean Green.
– North Texas is averaging 14.2 offensive rebounds per game this season, which is second in Conference USA. Watch if the Mountaineers can keep the Mean Green off the glass on the offensive end.
– Over the last two games, Plummer is dominating down low, as she’s averaging 12.5 points, 20 rebounds and shooting 50 percent from the floor. Watch if Plummer establishes a presence in the paint on Wednesday.
Scouting North Texas
– North Texas is coming off a 56-53 win over North Alabama to advance to the WBI championship.
– Callie Owens and Brittany Smith led the team in scoring with 10 points each, while Madison Townley posted a team-high 14 rebounds.
– UNT defeated Texas Rio Grande Valley, UTA State and the Lions in the postseason.
– All three wins came in Denton.
– UNT has struggled on the road with a 4-7 mark including a 1-5 mark over its last six road contests.
– North Texas went 7-9 in Sun Belt play and won a C-USA Tournament game against Southern Miss.
– Terriell Bradley leads the team in scoring with an average of 15.6 points per game.
– Townley leads the team in rebounding at a clip of seven per game.
Series History
Wednesday’s matchup is the first meeting between the Mountaineers and Mean Green.
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