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Appalachian Falls at Georgia Southern, 85-72
by Appalachian Sports Information

December 1, 2007 - STATESBORO, Ga. - Led by five players in double-figures, including Louis Graham with a game-high 21 points, Georgia Southern pulled away for an 85-72 victory over Appalachian State University men’s basketball Saturday afternoon at Hanner Fieldhouse. The Eagles shot 57 percent from the field and were 10-of-15 (67 percent) from three-point range in the win.

ASU (3-5, 0-2 SoCon) was paced by Donte Minter’s 19 points while freshman Donald Sims scored 12 points with three steals. Milledgeville, Ga. native Isaac Butts, playing in front of a large contingent of friends and family, scored eight points with a team-high seven rebounds.

Dwayne Foreman was the primary three-point threat for GSU (6-1, 2-0 SoCon) with four three-pointers on six attempts for 16 total points.

The Eagles took an early 21-12 lead on an 8-0 run fueled by a pair of three-pointers from Anthony Marshall eight minutes into the contest. Marshall hit three three-pointers and a pair of free throws in the first half for all 11 of his points. GSU would later extend its lead to 30-15 with a 9-0 run as the defense held ASU scoreless for nearly five minutes and forced turnovers that it converted into runouts and easy layups. The Apps would put a tourniquet on the bleeding and outscored GSU, 16-12, over the final eight minutes of the half and trimmed the margin to 42-31 at halftime on a Jeremy Clayton three-point play 3.9 seconds before halftime. Clayton finished with nine points and three rebounds.

Unfortunately for the Apps, they couldn’t carry that momentum into the second half as GSU rattled off an 8-0 run to begin the half to extend its lead back out to 19. Undeterred, the Mountaineers answered with eight-straight points of their own, six of them from Minter, to trim the margin back to 11 at 50-39 with 16 minutes remaining. Moments later, the Eagles would go on yet another 8-0 run, their third of the game and eventually stretch the lead out to a game-high 23 at 71-48 with 6:54 left.

A.J. Highsmith would provide a brief spark for the Apps off the bench, scoring eight points in a four-minute span to get ASU within 14 points with two minutes to play. A Sims’ three-pointer with three seconds made for the final 85-72 tally.

The Mountaineers will have 16 days off to finish up the fall semester and prepare for finals before resuming their season on December 17 against UVA-Wise at the Holmes Center.