Cougars Fall to Mountaineers - CofCSports.com--Official Web site of College of Charleston Athletics

Saturday, February 21

Boone, NC

1pm

College of Charleston

Appalachian State

Cougars Fall to Mountaineers - CofCSports.com--Official Web site of College of Charleston Athletics

2/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

#articleRelated { display: none !important; } Appalachian State women's basketball shot a blistering 60 percent (15-for-25) from the field in the second half to blow open a close game and run away with an 88-69 victory over College of Charleston Saturday afternoon at the Holmes Center.

Led by 19 points from sophomore guard Kiki Conyers, the Mountaineers posted the highest point total by an Appalachian squad in more than two years, dating back to an 89-87 victory at Davidson on Feb. 9, 2002. ASU's 89 points were the most it has scored at home since defeating Navy 97-78 on Dec. 3, 2000.

Appalachian (6-19, 5-13 Southern Conference) made eight of its first 11 shots in the second half to stretch a 38-34 halftime lead to a 58-44 advantage less with 12:06 to go in the ballgame. From there, the Mountaineers never let the lead get back under 10, as a stifling defensive effort held C of C to just 33-percent shooting (12-of-36) in the second half.

It was a suffocating defense of another kind that allowed ASU to take the four-point advantage into the half. The Mountaineers turned 17 Charleston turnovers into 20 points in the first stanza to overcome the Cougars' 11-of-15 shooting performance over the final 12 minutes of the period.

Conyers, Crystal Barriner (17 points), Michelle Conklin (13) and Lindsay Smith (10) all scored in double-figures to lead ASU's well-rounded offensive explosion. Jessica Jank pulled down a game-high nine rebounds while Smith dished out five assists.

Jennifer Manard scored 19 points off the bench to lead College of Charleston (6-20, 4-15 SoCon). However, the Mountaineers never allowed Patrice Bryant to get on track, as the Cougars' leading scorer tallied just two points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Appalachian will play its final home contest of the season when it hosts Georgia Southern Wednesday evening. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the Holmes Center. College of Charleston will get a week off before playing its final regular-season game of the 2003-04 campaign at Chattanooga next Saturday at 1 p.m.