Mountaineers top men’s basketball

The Troy men’s basketball team dropped another close conference game, falling to Appalachian State 75-71 on Thursday, Jan. 28, in Trojan Arena.

Senior forward John Walton III recorded his sixth career double-double, but it was not enough as the Mountaineers (6-14, 4-5 Sun Belt) handed the Trojans (6-15, 1-9 Sun Belt) their fourth straight loss in a fast-paced game.

The game included eight lead changes and four ties, but the Mountaineers jumped out to a hot start. They held that advantage until junior guard Daniel Peace scored a layup in transition to give the home team a 23-22 advantage with five minutes left in the first half.

The lead was short-lived, as Appalachian State went on a 13-8 run, shooting 6-for-10 from beyond the arc to go up 35-31 at halftime.

In the second half, Appalachian State took a slight lead, 66-58, with 5:22 left to play. The Trojans made things interesting by going on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 68-68 with 1:49 left in regulation. Walton and Varnado were at it again, each scoring four points during the run for Troy.

Walton racked up 18 points for his team and hauled 11 rebounds. He stayed busy on the court, dishing out two assists and recording two steals.

Sophomore guard Wesley Person scored a game-high 22 points, including four three-point field goals. Freshman forward Jordon Varnado scored 10 points to go with five rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Appalachian State’s senior guard Frank Eaves entered the game as the Sun Belt Conference’s top scorer, averaging 21.4 points per game, but he ended this game with 18 points for the Mountaineers.

The Trojans are set to play again on Thursday, Feb. 4, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.