BOONE, N.C. (Interstat) — Appalachian State looks to continue its push in the Sun Belt Conference standings Friday afternoon when it hosts struggling Louisiana-Monroe at Holmes Center. The Mountaineers (12-9) enter on a positive note after a 72-58 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday. They have won three of their last five conference games. Louisiana-Monroe (3-17) arrives reeling from a 115-60 road loss at Marshall on Thursday, its seventh consecutive defeat. The Warhawks are 0-6 in Sun Belt play and have lost those games by an average of 21.2 points. Appalachian State guard Alonzo Dodd has been a catalyst during the team’s recent stretch, averaging 18.3 points and 5.7 assists over his last six games. He scored 27 points in a narrow loss to Old Dominion on Jan. 17 and added 23 in a win over James Madison two days prior. The Warhawks have struggled on both ends of the floor throughout the season. They rank near the bottom of the conference in scoring offense and defense. In their most recent outing, no Louisiana-Monroe player scored in double figures against Marshall. Appalachian State won both meetings last season, including a 78-55 victory in Boone. The Mountaineers have won eight of the last nine matchups in the series. Following this game, Appalachian State travels to face Southern Mississippi on Jan. 29. Louisiana-Monroe returns home to host Georgia Southern on the same date. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.