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HomeSports Lady Govs unable to maintain momentum following break, fall at Pittsburgh

Lady Govs unable to maintain momentum following break, fall at Pittsburgh

APSU Women’s Basketball

Austin Peay State University GovernorsPittsburgh, PA – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team returned from the holiday break with a sluggish first-half effort en route to a 75-53 loss at Pittsburgh, Tuesday night, at Petersen Events Center.

Pittsburgh (7-5) seemingly could not miss the basket in the opening period, making 58.6 percent (17-of-29) of its field goals. The Panthers opened the game making six of their first seven field goals to take a 15-9 lead with 14:28 remaining. However, it was a 12-2 run over a four-minute span that pushed the Pitt lead to 21 points, 37-16, with 6:01 left. The Panthers took a 20-point, 43-23, lead into halftime.

Lady Govs Basketball. (Courtesy: Austin Peay Sports Information)
Lady Govs Basketball. (Courtesy: Austin Peay Sports Information)

Austin Peay (4-10) could not find any offensive rhythm in the first half, making just 9-of-36 from the field. Senior Brooke Faulkner, who was inserted into the starting lineup for junior Whitney Hanley, led Austin Peay with eight points. Hanley was the only other player to make more than one field goal in the period, finishing with five points.

The second half saw Austin Peay make a better effort at both ends of the court. The Lady Govs narrowly lost the second-half scoring battle, 32-20, while matching the Panthers with 12 field-goals made, but the first-half deficit proved too much to overcome.

Meghan BussabargerSophomore Meghan Bussabarger led Austin Peay with 13 points and seven rebounds, including 10 second-half tallies. Junior Jasmine Rayner recovered from a scoreless first half to finish with 12 points and six rebounds.

Austin Peay committed a season-low nine turnovers, leading to a season-high 73 field-goal attempts. However, the Lady Govs made just 28.8 percent (21 field goals made) of those tries.

Taneisha Harrison and Chelsea Cole each scored 13 points to lead Pittsburgh. The Panthers converted 50.9 percent (29-of-57) of their field-goal attempts – the second time this season APSU has permitted an opponent to make more than 50 percent of its field goals.

Austin Peay continues its stay in Pittsburgh with a 6:00pm (CT), Thursday contest at Duquesne.

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