Box Score

Shawn Hall and Graham Bunn each scored 19 points to lead Appalachian State to a 91-60 victory over UNCG this afternoon at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, NC. Appalachian State improves to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in Southern Conference action. The loss drops UNCG to 3-11 on the season and 0-3 in league play.

UNCG opened the game on fire, as Jay Joseph scored five points to lead the Spartans to an early 10-4 lead. Appalachian State promptly went on a 14-0 run to take an 18-10 advantage. Shawn Hall sparked the Mountaineers rally with a deep 3-pointer from the left wing. After the a pair of UNCG baskets, the Mountaineers went on a 16-2 run to take a commanding 34-16 lead. The Mountaineers would lead by as many as 23 points, 42-19, late in the first half.

Appalachian State scored the first eight points of the second half to squash any thoughts of a UNCG comeback. The Mountaineers pushed their lead to as many as 36, 78-42, midway throught the second stanza. Ray Bristow was a bright spot for the Spartans in the second half as he connected on three 3-point attempts.

Bristow paced UNCG with a career-high 18 points. The freshman knocked down four 3-point shots on the afternoon. Ronnie Burrell notched his second double-double of the season as he scored 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. James Maye, the Spartans' leading scorer this season, was held to just one point on 0-of-13 shooting from the floor.

In addition to Hall and Bunn's 19 points, Chris McFarland added 14 points and eight rebounds for Appalachian. The Mountaineers outrebounded the Spartans, 65-46 and blocked nine shots in the game compared to UNCG's six.

The loss is UNCG's 10th in a row this season, the longest losing skid since the 1991-92 squad lost 12 consecutive in the Spartans' inaugural season in Division I competition. The Spartans' last victory this season was a 70-58 decision over Middle Tennessee on November 30, in the friendly confines of Fleming Gymnasium.

The Spartans will return to home to Fleming Gymnasium for the first time since November 30 on Monday, January 13, against VMI. Tipoff is slated for 7 pm. Over the last three seasons, UNCG is a combined 24-2 (92.3%) in Fleming Gymnasium, including all three victories of this season.