
It's Senior Day at Georgia Southern, that pinnacle of higher ed, situated on that gnat-infested drainage ditch that Erk Russell once named "Beautiful Eagle Creek" and required his players to wallow in it before every practice session. RPI #223 Southern (13-14, 9-8 Sun Belt) appears for the last time this season in Hanner Field House to honor lone senior Devince Boykins and play host to the Apps.
The RPI #279 Mountaineers (7-20, 5-11 Sun Belt) enter tonight's game with their backs to the wall and still staggering from three straight losses to the Eagles--two extreme blowouts and a one-point loss in late January in a game they led 100-97 with 5.5 secs on the clock--only to lose 101-100 after a couple of miscues and a questionable foul call. All in the blink of the eye.
To call this a must-win game for the Apps is to understate the obvious implications. Our team is mired in 10th place in the league--two games out of 8th place and the last seed in the Sun Belt Tourney--with only four games left to play. If they win out (including a win over first place UALR), they should make the tourney field. If they win three of their last four, they'll need for a couple of second-division conference mates to stumble badly in the next ten days. Last year, our team was ineligible for post-season play due to a low APR attributable to the Jason Capel train wreck. This season, the Apps are dangerously close to eliminating themselves with their poor play.
Hopefully, the Apps will catch Ga South on tired legs tonight and get some pay-back for the last three games between the two rivals--all losses for the good guys. The Eagles have played four games in the last eight days.
Appalachian IMG Sports Network...
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