MACON, Georgia – Looking to bounce back from a tough loss Monday, the App State (4-3) men’s basketball team is scheduled to travel to Macon, Ga., for a midweek test drive at Mercer (3-2) on Wednesday. This will be App State’s first trip to Mercer since the 1972 season. Tip-off from Hawkins Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
With App State’s win over Charlotte last Friday at the Holmes Center, Kerns is one win away from 150 for his career. Entering Wednesday, Kerns owns a career record of 149-119, with 118 of those wins at App State over the last seven years. Last year, Kerns surpassed 100 career wins at App State and became the third-fastest App State head coach to reach 100 career wins. As of Wednesday, Kerns has the fifth-most wins in program history.
App State will return to the road for four of its next five games, including three at North Carolina (Asheville – November 30, Greenville – December 11 and Hickory – December 14). Wednesday’s contest will be the last time App State leaves North Carolina State until Dec. 31, when it travels to Old Dominion. The Mountaineers are 1-2 on the road this season and begin Wednesday with a win in their last road game against Dartmouth on November 16.
Wednesday’s game at Mercer will mark the first of five games against Georgia State teams this season (Mercer, Georgia State (twice) and Georgia Southern (twice). The Mountaineers are 7-2 against Georgia opponents since 2023-24. Before a Feb. 15 loss, App State had won six straight against Georgia foes.
The match
- Who: App State at Mercer
- Where: Hawkins Arena // Macon, Georgia.
- When: Wednesday November 26 // 2 p.m.
Set
- Watch: ESPN+ | Dean Keener (PxP), Phil Cox (Color)
- Listen: FLAGSHIP 97.3 (North Wilkesboro), 950 AM/92.7 FM (Greensboro), 790 AM/93.7 FM (Johnson City) | Matt present (PxP)
- Live stats: appstatesports.com
Last release
The App State men’s basketball team lost 88-53 to Elon Phoenix at home on Monday. The Phoenix ran away with the game late in the first half thanks to a 26-6 run to close the first half, and never looked back.
Elon proved a physical counterpart to the Mountaineers on Monday, outscoring the Mountaineers by 20 (45-25). 16 of the Phoenix’s 45 rebounds came on the offensive glass, resulting in 26 second-chance points. Additionally, Elon totaled 46 points in the paint, compared to App State’s 16.
Jalen Tot led the Mountaineers in scoring against the Phoenix with 14 points, his season and Mountaineer high. Tot hit four threes in the game, the most made by a Mountaineer in a game this season. App State made eight threes as a team, extending its streak to 19 straight games with at least five 3-pointers.
In search of mountaineers
App State enters play Wednesday with a 4-3 record and has won four of its last six games. App State’s offense has shined in wins this season as it scores 79.5 points per game, compared to just 57.3 points per game in losses. The Mountaineers have scored 75 points or more in three of their four wins this season.
When the Mountaineers hit the road, they use their defense to win games. App State allowed just 62.6 points in its 17 road games last year. That number included four instances in which the Mountaineers gave up 50 points or fewer.
When the Mountaineers have found success on offense this season, they have done so by crushing the paint with intent. Entering play Wednesday, the Mountaineers have recorded 20 or more points in the paint in all but one game this season (Elon). In its four wins, App State scores 39.5 points per game in the paint compared to 19.3 in losses. App State has already tallied two games with 50 or more paint points this season, marking the most instances in a season since 2023-24.
App State’s depth was on full display Wednesday, as five different players averaged at least seven points per game. Kasen Jennings, Eren Banks, Luke Wilson, Alonzo Dodd and Tot. Six different Mountaineers have posted double-digit scoring this season, including several from Jennings, Wilson and Dodd. Entering play Wednesday, the Mountaineers are getting 27.3 points per game from their bench unit, which would be the second-highest bench points per game average in the Kerns era if the season ended today.
Looking for bears
Mercer enters play Wednesday with a 3-2 record and is coming off a road win against Eastern Kentucky last Saturday. The Bears enter Wednesday’s game with a 2-0 record at home.
Offense has been the Bears’ calling card during the young season, as through five games they led the Southern Conference in scoring. The Bears have eclipsed 90 points in their three wins this season. Two Bears, Baraka Okojie and Quinton Perkins II, enter Wednesday averaging over 15 points per game. Both players are in the top 10 in the SoCon in scoring as of Wednesday.
Head coach Ryan Ridder’s squad has been one of the best teams in the country at blocking shots, as entering Wednesday it leads the SoCon and ranks 86th in the nation in blocks per game. The Bears also have the 78th highest block rate in the country at 7.2 percent as of Wednesday. Armani Mighty ranks first in the SoCon and 36th nationally in blocks per game (2.2) as of Wednesday.
History of the series
The Mountaineers and Bears will meet for just the fifth time on Wednesday, in what will be the first matchup between the two teams since 2015. App State and Mercer’s 2015 meeting took place during the Challenge in Music City multi-team event in Nashville.
The Mountaineers’ trip to Macon will be their first since Feb. 7, 1972, which was App State’s final season as an NAIA school. Mercer is 4-0 undefeated against the Mountaineers.
Kerns never faced Mercer during his coaching career.
Following
Once the action concludes in Macon, the Mountaineers will travel to Asheville for a neutral site matchup with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs on Sunday. Sunday’s game, originally scheduled for last season but postponed due to Hurricane Helene, will mark the second consecutive neutral-site game between UNC Asheville and App State (both teams played in Hickory in 2023). Tip-off from Harrah’s Cherokee Center is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+.
