The App State women’s basketball team fell to Georgia Southern, 84-73, in its Play4Kay Pink Game on Saturday.

“I thought the start of the fourth quarter is really where Georgia Southern took control of the game,” said head coach Angel Elderkin. “They went 5-for-7 and we went 16 percent, 1-for-6, and probably after they went two shots I should have called a timeout. I was hoping we were going to score and call a timeout, but I thought that stretch hurt us. I thought our kids came back and pressed, had a little bit more urgency. We were able to make a run late, but I just think it comes down to the little things.

“You guys ask me every week ‘what are you going to do about your rebounding?’ We are who we are, and so, if we’re going to give up some rebounds, we can’t shoot 50 percent from the free throw line.”

Junior Faith Alston led the team with a season-high 21 points, draining 3-of-4 from beyond the arc while dishing out a team-high four assists. In her 13 minutes on court, sophomore Zada Porter contributed 12 points and three rebounds. Senior Taylor Lewis and graduate student Brooke Bigott netted eight points apiece. Sophomore Mariah Frazier pulled down a team-high seven rebounds while being a pillar in the Mountaineers’ defense.

App State scored 26 points off the bench, 24 points in the paint and 15 fast-break points. The Black and Gold held the Eagles to a total of four treys over the course of the game.

Alston netted eight of the Mountaineers’ 15 points in the first quarter, opening the game with a pair of treys as App State took a 6-4 lead. Bigott sunk a 3-point bucket of her own, freshman Alexis Black contributed a pair of free throws and Porter made a layup as App State trailed 18-15 at the end of the quarter.

Redshirt junior A’Lea Gilbert made back-to-back layups to bring App State within two of Georgia Southern’s lead (22-20). Midway through the quarter, the Mountaineers went on an 8-0 scoring run with Alston and Lewis making layups and Porter drilling a 3-point basket as well as a free throw. Georgia Southern fought back, and despite a jumper from Bigott, took a 37-31 lead at the half.

Sophomore Emily Carver opened the third quarter with a second-chance trey, which was followed up by a jumper from redshirt senior Janay Sanders and 3-point bucket from Bigott, cutting into the Eagles’ 46-39 lead. Lewis drained back-to-back 3-point buckets to bring the Black and Gold within four of Georgia Southern’s 50-46 lead. Despite a jumper from Alston, free throws from Sanders and Gilbert, and a late layup from Frazier, App State trailed Georgia Southern, 59-53, at the close of the period.

Early in the final quarter, Alston landed a trey and Sanders tallied another free throw before the Mountaineers faced a scoring drought. With 3:55 left to play, Porter broke the drought with a trey. Porter later posted back-to-back field goals.

“I think it’s been special to join with High Country Breast Cancer Foundation because growing up in the profession I was really close with Kay Yow and have done so much with Kay Yow. So when I started on my journey at App, it was Play4Kay and then we crossed paths with Irene Sawyer and her foundation and we have a bond, being survivors. To be able to join forces and have Kay Yow and our community, I think makes for a really special day. And Georgia Southern, I love Anita, I think she does a great job. We always match up with them and she’s like ‘I hate playing you on Play4Kay day.’ I think it’s awesome, we wear these Power of One shirts and it really represents one team, one vision, one goal. It’s a special day, but it’s even more special when you have a community behind you.”

The Mountaineers will go on their final regular season road trip, making stops at Norfolk, Va. and Troy, Ala. App State will take on Old Dominion at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 and Troy at 5 p.m. ET on Feb. 18. Both games will be available to stream on ESPN+.