The Appalachian
March 19, 2021
Dancing Mountaineers Mountaineers erase 18-point second half deficit, narrowly fall in first NCAA Tournament game in 21 years Silas Albright | Sports Editor BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Before the season started, Sun Belt coaches picked App State basketball to finish fourth out of six Sun Belt East division teams. Four months later, the Mountaineers won the first Sun Belt title in program history and went dancing. The Mountaineers ultimately fell 54-53 in a thriller that came down to the wire in the First Four matchup Thursday night at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. It was App State’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 21 years. “It’s tough. Man, we wish we could have this one back, for sure,” senior guard Justin Forrest said postgame. “It’s just tough. I mean, yeah, we’re proud to get here, but we know we belong. We just wish the outcome was different, and it’s just a tough pill to swallow.” Despite trailing Norfolk State by 18 early in the second half with its back firmly against the wall, App State scrapped all the way back, even hold-
ing a 6-point lead at one point with less than six minutes to go. “We’re never out of it. We’re going to fight and (play) 40 minutes, whether we’re up or down,” App State head coach Dustin Kerns said. “I’m proud of our guys’ fight and togetherness and how connected they are, because you have to be that way.” From the 11:09 mark to the 5:47 mark in the second half, the Mountaineers took over, outscoring the Trojans 16-0. With 8:38 left in the second half, App State grad transfer guard Michael Almonacy knocked down a pair of free throws to trim the deficit down to just 2 at 45-43. After a couple of stops on defense, Forrest caught fire, nailing a triple from the wing to give the Mountaineers their first lead at 46-45. After that, he knocked down another 3-pointer, and then finished a layup for a personal 8-0 run to give his team a 51-45 lead with 5:47 to play. Continue on page 14
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Justin Forrest shooting on the Norfolk State Spartans at Thrusday night’s NCAA play-in game. Forrest had a teamhigh 18 points, but the Mountaineers ultimately lost to the spartans. Courtesy of NCAA
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