BOONE, N.C., DEC. 2, 2017 – Appalachian State held the lead for all but 2:45 to hand USF its third straight loss, 84-61, Saturday night.

The Bulls fell to 4-5 on the season and lost both halves of a two-game trip through North Carolina.

The Mountaineers scored 26 points off 17 Bulls turnovers. Appalachian State was 33-of-64 (51.6 percent) from the field, compared to 24-of-55 (43.6 percent for the Bulls).

Three different Bulls scored in double figures, with Stephan Jiggetts (Forestville, Md.) leading the way with 17 points. Isaiah Manderson (Bronx, N.Y.) had his best performance as a Bull, scoring 14 points and pulling down five boards. His 14 points were a career high. He was 4-for-4 from the free throw line, tying a career high for free throws made.

Malik Martin (Miami, Fla.) came one point away from his second double-double in eight days, scoring nine points and grabbing 11 boards, a new career high.

Quotable
Head coach Brian Gregory on the game:
"Give them a lot of credit. Right off the bat, they got at us defensively and set the tone and tempo for the entire game in the first 10 minutes. Just something you have to learn from. We go to the timeout down six, it's 20-14 and it's like the whole world has collapsed. We just have to stick to what we have to get done and stay true to what we do. I thought we closed it out pretty well to end the first half, kept within striking distance. And then our defense, not taking care of the ball, taking some tough shots. That's just not who we are."

Gregory on Isaiah Manderson:
"I thought the six shots that he missed, he probably should have made five of them. A little bit of that is not playing. We know when Isaiah comes into the game, we have to go to him, because he gives us a low post scoring threat. I'm pleased with that. He's in better shape, so he can play more than two minutes, like he used to be able to do. The problem that we need him to solve, for him and for us, is on the defensive end. Being able to help us on the ball screen. Being able to clog the middle. Being able to guard the post a little better. That would make a huge impact on our team."

Key Stats
58.6 – Appalachian State shot 58.6 percent (17-for-29) in the second half.
9 – Nine different Mountaineers scored, including three in double figures.
19.0 – Stephan Jiggetts averaged 19 points per game on the two-game North Carolina trip.

Notable

• Freshman guard David Collins (Youngstown, Ohio) remained out with a left knee injury. He will be evaluated further.
• Four of Malik Martin's career-high 11 rebounds were on the offensive end. Isaiah Manderson added three offensive boards of his own.
• Henry Beard (Seminole, Fla.) played a career-high nine minutes. He grabbed one rebound and was 0-for-1 from the field.
• Appalachian State had 17 assists in the ballgame, compared to only seven for the Bulls.

Up Next
USF will have nine days off for finals week. The Bulls next take the court on Monday, Dec. 11 against FIU at the Sun Dome. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

About USF Men's Basketball
The USF men's basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory. On March 22, Gregory was introduced as the 10^th head coach in program history. He previously led programs at Georgia Tech (2011-16) and Dayton (2003-11). Gregory spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach under Michigan State's Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo and helped the Spartans win the 2000 NCAA National Championship. Gregory brings nearly 250 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship, to Tampa.

USF has retired three numbers in its 47-year history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30) and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids and appeared in the NIT eight times.

For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.