BOONE, N.C. (Interstat) — Two Sun Belt women’s basketball teams seeking to halt slides will meet Wednesday when Appalachian State hosts Coastal Carolina at the Holmes Center. The Mountaineers (7-6) and Chanticleers (7-9) both enter on two-game losing streaks within conference play. Appalachian State fell 53-48 to Marshall at home Saturday, while Coastal Carolina dropped a 50-60 decision to Georgia Southern the same day. Appalachian State holds a slight edge in overall record and will look to capitalize on home court advantage. The Mountaineers have shown resilience, bouncing back from a three-game skid in December with a dominant 82-31 win over CarolinaU before their recent losses. Coach Angel Elderkin will rely on forward Emma Smith to set the tone. Smith is coming off a 38-minute, 11-rebound performance against Marshall and dished out eight assists in the late-December rout. Coastal Carolina, under coach Kevin Pederson, has struggled for consistency, alternating blowout wins with narrow defeats. The Chanticleers’ offense, which erupted for 103 points twice in non-conference play, has been stifled in their last two outings. Forward Tracey Hueston will be key to reigniting it. Hueston is averaging 12.3 points over her last three games, including a 16-point, 9-rebound effort in an overtime loss to Marshall on Jan. 1. The matchup pits Appalachian State’s defense, which has held three opponents under 40 points this season, against a Coastal Carolina team prone to high-scoring bursts. The Mountaineers will need to contain Hueston and Coastal’s Kristin Williams, who scored 15 points in the loss to Georgia Southern. Wednesday’s contest is the first of two regular-season meetings between the programs. They will meet again in Conway, S.C., on Feb. 18. For now, both teams are focused on securing a pivotal early conference win to steady their trajectories. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.