Austin Peay Lady Govs Basketball meet Nationally-Ranked Louisville, Tuesday

Austin Peay Lady Govs at Louisville
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 | Tipoff: 11:00am (CST)
Location: Louisville, KY | Arena: KFC Yum! Center (22,000)

Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay returns to action following an eight-day break with a formidable task at hand when it travels to nationally-ranked Louisville for a 11:00am (CT), Tuesday contest.

It is the second-game of the Lady Govs current four-game road trip, which they opened with a three-point win at Lipscomb, November 14th. Louisville will be playing its fourth game in a seven-day stretch and its second-consecutive home game after defeating Xavier by a 62-44 margin, Sunday.

Austin Peay got out of the gates with back-to-back victories for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign. It is only the seventh time in the program’s known 35-year history (since 1976-77) that the Lady Govs opened a season with a 2-0 record. Austin Peay has not started a season 3-0 since the 1994-95 season, when current head coach Carrie Daniels was a player on the team.

Hanley Wins Opening OVC “Player of the Week” Honor

Senior guard Whitney Hanley was named the adidas Ohio Valley Conference “Player of the Week” the league office announced, November 15th. Hanley, of Mt. Washington, KY, opened the season with a career-high 28 points against Southern Illinois, Friday. She followed that with 21 points a Lipscomb, November 14th, during which she became the 14th Lady Govs player to record 1,000 career points.

However, it was her effort in the closing minutes of both contests that helped Austin Peay secure its first 2-0 start to a season since the 1997-98 campaign. After Southern Illinois tied the contest with 2:27 remaining, Hanley scored seven of the Lady Govs final nine points to pull off the victory. Two days later, she helped the Lady Govs mount a come-from-behind effort, scoring the game-tying basket while being fouled with 56 seconds remaining and making the ensuing the free throw to give APSU its first lead since the opening basket. She would later make two free throws to secure the win.

Lady Govs Last Time Out

Austin Peay def. Lipscomb, 61-58
November 14th, 2011

Trailing by 17 with four minutes remaining in the first half, Austin Peay outscored Lipscomb, 43-23, the game’s remainder to post a 61-58 non-conference victory, November 14th, at Allen Arena. Lipscomb (0-2) dominated the opening 16 minutes, making 56.5 percent (13-of-23) of its shots and building a 35-18 lead.

Meanwhile, Austin Peay was unable to find its groove in the early going, making just 7-of-20 (35 percent) and committing nine turnovers. Lipscomb did not surrender the lead easily, trading baskets with Austin Peay over a five-minute stretch of the second half.

Senior Whitney Hanley, who finished with a game-high 21 points, gave Austin Peay its first lead, 58-57, since the opening basket with a conventional three-point play with 56 seconds remaining.

Austin Peay maintained its lead over the closing seconds, making three of its four free throws while Lipscomb missed on its lone shot and missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw situation.

About Louisville

Louisville enters Tuesday’s contest ranked in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Cardinals lone loss this season was a 76-58 decision at No. 6 Texas A&M and they own victories at Missouri State (73-64, November 13th), at Eastern Kentucky (77-53, November 17th) and against Xavier (62-44, Sunday).

Louisville returns four starters, among nine returning letterwinners, from last season’s team that posted a 22-13 overall mark, finished second in the Big East regular-season race and reached the NCAA’s Sweet 16 round before falling to Gonzaga.  Louisville was picked to finish third in the 2011-12 Big East race, behind Notre Dame and Connecticut.

Lady Govs-Cardinals Last Meeting

Louisville def. Austin Peay, 72-42
November 17th, 2008 • Louisville, KY.

Austin Peay got off to a slow start, found itself deep in a hole it could not climb out of and fell to No. 10 Louisville, 72-42, at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Austin Peay (1-1) did not score a field goal until the 13:21 mark of the first half, a put-back by sophomore Ashley Herring off her own miss. But by then, the Cardinals had flown the coop, scoring 12 straight points to start the game and led 12-2 after Herring’s basket.

Louisville (2-0) promptly rattled off the next 16 points, extending its lead to 28-2, before Austin Peay posted its second field goal, a three-pointer by Herring with 4:19 remaining. Herring led the Lady Govs with 12 points, but converted just 4-of-16 from the field. Monique Reid led Louisville with 17 points and nine rebounds.

Fast Break Points

Senior guard Whitney Hanley became the 14th Austin Peay women’s basketball player to reach the 1,000-point plateau with her 21-point performance at Lipscomb, November 14th. Her 1,004 career points ranks 13th all-time. She needs 115 points to reach the 12th spot, currently held by Lady Govs head coach Carrie Daniels (1,111 points, 1991-96).

Senior forward Jasmine Rayner has a little more work to do – needing 141 points to reach the 1,000-point mark.

Austin Peay returns its four leading scorers from last season’s team: Hanley (12.2 ppg), Rayner (10.5 ppg), junior forward Meghan Bussabarger (8.0 ppg) and sophomore guard Nicole Olszewski (8.0 ppg).

Hanley was named to the Preseason All-OVC team after receiving second-team All-OVC honors last season.

Austin Peay is 20-46 (.303) against non-conference teams under head coach Carrie Daniels.

The Lady Govs are 9-23 (.281) in November under Daniels.

The Lady Govs are 2-23 (.080) against ranked opponents all time, including a 0-8 mark during the Daniels Era. Austin Peay’s last victory against a ranked opponent was a 71-66 victory against No. 11/9 Georgia during the 1997-98 season.

An Austin Peay Win Would

Be its third straight victory…  be its first 3-0 start to a season since the 1994-95 campaign… make it 2-0 during its current four-game road trip… end its six-game losing streak to Louisville… snap its 14-game losing streak to ranked opposition… improve Daniels’ record to 66-94 overall… make the Lady Govs 419-567 overall since 1976-77.

An Austin Peay Loss Would

End its season-opening two-game win streak… be its seventh consecutive loss to Louisville… be its 15th consecutive loss to a ranked opponent… level its record on the current four-game road trip (1-1)… be  drop Daniels’ record to 65-95 overall… make the Lady Govs 418-568 overall since 1976-77.

Next Game

Lady Govs Travel to California for Cal Poly Classic

Austin Peay continues its four-game road trip with a pair of contests at the Cal Poly Classic in San Luis Obispo, CA, Friday-Saturday. The Lady Govs will meet 2011-12 Patriot League co-Champion American in the tournament’s opening game, Friday. Austin Peay then squares off against host Cal Poly, the 2011-12 Big West Conference co-Champion, Saturday.