For much of the first half yesterday, Appalachian State managed to keep pace with the Terrapin women’s basketball team.
Turnovers and missed opportunities prevented the Terps from controlling the game early, and as they broke off for the locker room at halftime, the score of 39-38 overhead surely resulted in uneasiness.
But thanks to the efforts of forwards Diandra Tchatchouang and Alyssa Thomas and center Lynetta Kizer, the Terps overcame the slow start and won decisively, 81-65, for their sixth straight win.
From the outset at Comcast Center, it was easy to see how effective the different attacks for both teams would be in the first half. The Mountaineers (6-2) were able to spread the ball around the perimeter and hit key shots early on.
“I was really impressed with Appalachian State on film and the success that they’ve had,” coach Brenda Frese said. “They’re never out of a game.”
Mountaineer point guard Sam Ramirez (15 points) had all nine of her first-half points come from behind the arc, and forward Canesha Edwards contributed nine points and seven rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
On the other side of the ball, the Terps’ Thomas took control early, dominating in the paint and picking up 13 points. The Terps (7-1) were dealt a setback at halftime, however, when Thomas was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a deep cut on her knee.
“At halftime, we had two decisions to make,” Frese said. “We found out the news that Alyssa wasn’t going to be able to continue on in the second half, and we were having trouble with their sets. We wanted to go to our strength with our size, so we went to the matchup.”
It didn’t take long for the Terps to up the energy and intensity level needed to put the Mountaineers away. The Terps scored the first seven points in the second half en route to a 14-2 run that finally separated them from their visitors. Tchatchouang scored 12 of her 17 points after intermission to lead all scorers. Aiding her was Kizer, who had a strong second half to end with 12 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double.
“It definitely has an impact on the game when we outscore them from down low,” Kizer said.
Frese said forwards Alicia DeVaughn and Tianna Hawkins also “gave us a spark.” The two reserves came off the bench to combine for 18 points and 19 rebounds.
The stat sheet provided evidence of the second-half onslaught. The Terps outscored the Mountaineers 54-18 in the paint, 22-9 on second-chance points and 16-2 on fast-break opportunities. Seven Terp players scored at least eight points, as well.
“With the talent we have on this roster,” Frese said, “that’s how we should be able to distribute the basketball.”
nmunson@umdbk.com
