8:40 p.m. ET – First Four (West Region)
No. 16 Norfolk St. vs. No. 16 Appalachian St. (-3½) O/U: 133
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk St | +3½ (-105) | +140 | O 133½ (-110) |
| Appalachian St | -3½ (-115) | -170 | U 133½ (-110) |
The 16-7 Spartans and the 17-11 Mountaineers battle in Assembly Hall in Indianapolis Thursday night for the unenviable right to play the No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday. Norfolk State defeated Morgan State in the MEAC title game on Saturday to punch its ticket to the NCAA First Four. App State had to win four games in four days, which included three wins over higher-seeded teams and two overtime wins, in order to win the Sun Belt conference tournament.
The best player on the court Thursday night will be Spartans guard Devante Carter, who led Norfolk with averages of 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and four assists per game this season. How Carter goes, so go the Spartans, and obviously the greatest task for the Mountaineers will be finding a way to slow Carter down and make someone else beat them.
Appalachian State does not have any one guy that runs the show, with six players averaging over eight points per game, but guard Michael Almonacy scored a career-high 32 points in the conference title victory over Georgia State. The six players mentioned above are the only real contributors on the team, making their lack of depth concerning in this matchup.
*Odds courtesy of MyBookie
