Austin Peay Lady Govs Basketball opening OVC road trip continues at Morehead State

December 30, 2011 |

Austin Peay vs. Morehead State
Saturday, December 31st, 2011 | Tipoff: 1:45pm (CT)
Morehead, KY | Arena: Johnson Arena (6,500)

Morehead, KY – Austin Peay continues its Ohio Valley Conference-opening three-game road trip against Morehead State with a 1:45pm (CT), Saturday contest at Johnson Arena. The Lady Govs saw their current losing streak reach three games after suffering a 95-81 OVC-opening loss at Tennessee State, Saturday.

The Lady Govs senior duo of Whitney Hanley and Jasmine Rayner scored 22 and 21 points, respectively.

Austin Peay Lady Govs Basketball.

Austin Peay jumps into the thick of the OVC slate with four games in 10 days. After traveling to Nashville, Thursday, the Lady Govs now head to “Death Valley” for contests at Morehead State, Saturday, and Eastern Kentucky, Monday. Austin Peay returns home and will have five days to prepare for a January 7th contest against Murray State.

The Lady Govs will then get their only seven-day break in the conference schedule – they will not have a stretch of more than five days between games the regular season’s remainder.

About Morehead State

Morehead State won its OVC opener at Southeast Missouri, Wednesday, and improved to 3-3 in the month of December. The Lady Eagles opened the season with a 1-6 November mark.

Morehead State has three players averaging more than 10 points per game, senior Linda Dixon leading the effort with 13.8 points per game, including a 30-point outburst at Southeast Missouri. She also leads the team with 34 three-pointers, pacing a Morehead State squad that attempts over 44 percent (363 3GA/818 FGA) of its shots from three-point range.

Familiar Faces On Morehead State Bench

Fans attending Saturday’s contest in Morehead may recognize a pair of faces on the Tennessee State bench. Former assistant coach Eric White (2003-06) is in his first season with the Lady Tigers staff. In addition Morehead State assistant coach Christian Stefanopoulos played two seasons (2002-04) at Austin Peay.

Lady Govs Trends And Notables

Austin Peay surrendered 95 points to Tennessee State, Thursday, the most points allowed to an OVC opponent since allowing 96 points at Tennessee Tech during the 2005-06 season. The Lady Govs breached the 30-point mark in the first half at Tennessee State for only the fourth time this season, falling to 2-2 in those contests.

Austin Peay committed 20-plus turnovers for the fourth time in December. The Lady Govs forced 12 steals at Tennessee State, their ninth double-digit steal effort this season. Tennessee State’s 35 free throws made are the most by an opponent since Jacksonville State made 35 during the 1999-00 season. TSU’s 48 free throws attempted are the most by an opponent since electronic record keeping began with the 1998-99 season.

OVC Turns To 16-Game, Unbalanced Slate In 2011-12

With the inclusion of SIU Edwardsville in the regular-season race – it will not be eligible for postseason competition this season – the league’s coaches and athletic directors elected to use an unbalanced schedule for the upcoming season. In women’s basketball, the unbalanced schedule means each of the league’s teams will play its two “rivals” twice this season – Murray State and Tennessee State in Austin Peay’s case.

In addition, each team will play four of the remaining schools twice – Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin and Southeast Missouri against Austin Peay. Each school will face the remaining four teams – Jacksonville State, Eastern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville and Tennessee Tech in APSU’s case – just once.

An Austin Peay Win Would

End its current three-game losing streak. Be its third win in its last four meetings with Morehead State. End its two-game losing streak in Morehead. Improve Daniels’ record to 67-106 overall. Make the Lady Govs 419-577 overall since 1976-77.

An Austin Peay Loss Would

Be its fourth consecutive loss. Be its second straight loss to Morehead State. Be its third-straight loss in Morehead. Drop Daniels’ record to 66-107 overall. Make the Lady Govs 418-578 overall since 1976-77.

Fast Break Points

Austin Peay continues to search for the right starting five combination. The Lady Govs have used nine different starting lineup combinations in the season’s first 14 games. In addition, no player has started every game this season, the second consecutive year that will have occurred.

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 1,190 career points ranks 11th all-time and she now need just 16 points to become one of the Lady Govs top 10 career scorers.

Hanley saw her school-record streak of consecutive made free throws stopped at 25 when she missed her first free throw at Tennessee State, Thursday. She made her final three attempts. She broke the record, previously held by Brooke Armistead (24 consecutive FTM), with a 4-of-4 effort against Alabama A&M, December 21st.

Senior forward Jasmine Rayner is working towards the 1,000 career point plateau – and now needs only 31 points to become the 15th Lady Govs player to reach the milestone.

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 45-50 (.473) in regular-season OVC play under Daniels.

The Lady Govs are 12-30 (.286) in December under Daniels.

Last Time Out

Lady Govs at Tennessee State
December 29th, 2011

Nashville, TN – Austin Peay women’s basketball team could not overcome an outsized night of foul trouble, losing to Tennessee State, 95-81, Thursday night at the Gentry Center in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams.

Austin Peay (3-11, 0-1 OVC), which trailed by just eight points at the half, was charged with 25 second-half fouls. Whitney Hanley was the first Lady Govs player to foul out of the contest, picking up her fifth with 8:29 remaining in the period. Before the contest ended she was joined by Meghan Bussabarger and Jasmine Rayner.

Tennessee State (5-10, 1-0 OVC) reached the double bonus with 11:27 left in the game and ultimately went to the free throw line 40 times in the second half. The Lady Tigers capitalized on the opportunities, making 32 second-half free throws to help keep Austin Peay at bay most of the period.

The Lady Govs scored the game’s first six points and led by seven points, 9-2, less than five minutes into the game. Tennessee State rallied and took its first lead just one minute later. However, the Lady Tigers took control of the half with 15 consecutive points over a nearly five minute span and led by 12 points, 38-26, with 4:47 remaining. Austin Peay battled back to within eight points, 42-34, at halftime.

Both teams traded runs in the second half’s opening minutes, Austin Peay closing to within seven points, 59-52, with 12:02 left. But the Lady Govs picked up their 10th foul soon after and Tennessee State began its parade to the free throw line that lasted the game’s remainder.

Hanley finished the game with 22 points, scoring 16 in the first half, before fouling out. Rayner picked up the slack, scoring 15 second-half points en route to a 21-point, nine-rebound outing. Bussabarger added 13 points and Kristen Stainback chipped in 11 points, including three three-pointers.

Tayla Foster led Tennessee State with 22 points, including nine free throws. Jasmin Shuler added 21 points.

Tennessee State finished the game 35-of-48 at the free-throw line, easily outpacing Austin Peay’s 15-of-20 effort at the charity stripe.

Lady Govs Last Meeting With Morehead State

January 29th, 2011

Morehead, KY – Austin Peay was unable to keep Morehead State off the free-throw line in the second half and dropped a 70-58 Ohio Valley Conference contest, Saturday night at Johnson Arena.

Austin Peay (7-16, 6-5 OVC) could not hold on to an 11-point first-half lead. The Lady Govs surrendered seven consecutive points to end the opening frame and saw their lead cut to two points, 32-30, at the halftime break.

Morehead State (16-6, 9-2) took control of the game in the second half using a 10-0 burst to build an eight-point, 48-40, lead with 11:23 remaining. Austin Peay ended its scoring drought on junior Jasmine Rayner’s free-throw at the 11:02 mark. The Lady Govs then ended a nearly six minute stretch without a field goal courtesy senior Brooke Faulkner’s layup that cut the lead to five points, 48-43, with 9:33 left.

But five points was as close at Austin Peay would get in the second half. Morehead State scored 22 points in the final nine minutes, making all 14 of its free-throw attempts.

Morehead State opened the game with a 10-4 run in the game’s opening three minutes, making five of its first six shots from the field. Austin Peay responded by scoring 12 of the game’s next 14 points to take a 16-12 lead at the 11:08 mark.

The Lady Govs lead would reach 11 points, 28-17, courtesy a 10-0 run that ended with 5:25 remaining in the period. However, Morehead State used a half-ending 7-0 run over the final 2:46 to cut the lead to two points and set up its second-half charge.

Freshman Nicole Olszewski led Austin Peay with 15 points and grabbed six rebounds. Senior Dalila Thomas added 14 points off the bench. Sophomore Meghan Bussabarger recorded her season’s third double-double, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Senior Chynna Bozeman led Morehead State with 30 points, making 10-of-16 from the field. Courtney Lumpkin added an 18-point, 11-rebound double double effort.

Carrie Daniels Show

The Carrie Daniels Show airs at 6:00pm, each Wednesday, live from Edwards Steakhouse on Franklin Street in downtown Clarksville.

Hosted by Brian Rives for the fourth consecutive season, the show will air live on WVRY 105.1 FM and be simulcast over the internet at www.LetsGoPeay.com.

Next Game

Lady Govs Wrap Road Trip At Eastern Kentucky

Austin Peay concludes its three-game OVC opening road trip with a 6:00pm (CT), Monday contest at Eastern Kentucky. The Lady Govs have not enjoyed much success at McBrayer Arena, posting a 7-25 mark there all-time and only one win in its last five visits.

Eastern Kentucky opened OVC play prior to the Christmas break, winning an 80-76 decision at Jacksonville State, December 20th. The Lady Colonels will face Tennessee State, Saturday, before its meeting with Austin Peay.

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