Austin Peay vs. Middle Tennessee
Saturday, December 17th, 2016 | 2:00pm CT
Murfreesboro, TN | Murphy Center
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team travels to Middle Tennessee, 2:00pm, Saturday, for the 69th meeting between the Governors and Blue Raiders.
APSU seeks its first win over Middle Tennessee since 2005, and its first in the Murphy Center since 2003.
On the defensive end, Austin Peay held the Owls to 35 percent from the field, outrebounded their opponent 46-30 and registered eight blocks.
Four of those swats were credited to senior forward Beth Rates, who passed Joanne Arnold for fourth on the all-time blocks chart.
Offensively, senior center Tearra Banks was virtually unstoppable, shooting 13-of-15 with 26 points and 13 boards.
It was her second consecutive double-double and fifth of 2016, helping her move up the statistical rankings at both the OVC and NCAA levels. Banks’ 59.2 field goal percentage currently sits atop the league order, and is among the elite nationally in 25th position.
Entering Saturday’s contest, Banks is 21 points away from moving into the top 15 in all-time scoring, currently with 1,049 career points.
The Opponent: Middle Tennessee
Under Rick Insell, the Blue Raiders have won seven Conference USA tournament titles in his 11 years as head coach, including last season’s 70-54 victory over Old Dominion in the finals. Middle Tennessee challenged fifth seed Florida State in the NCAA Tournament but fell 72-55 in the first round.
In 2016, Middle Tennessee is 2-5 in its nonconference schedule, playing the likes of Louisville and Kentucky. The Blue Raiders have lost back-to-back games, with their last win coming Dec. 3 against Tulane, 62-59.
The Blue Raiders are led offensively by Alex Johnson and Ty Petty, with the duo averaging 15 and 13.9 points per game, respectively. Johnson most recently scored 21 points against Arizona State, while Petty, who also averages 5.6 assists, poured in 27 points versus Louisville.
Last Time Against the Blue Raiders
Last season, Middle Tennessee defeated APSU 86-55, November 30th, in the Dunn Center. Tiasha Gray led the Govs with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Banks and Sydney Gooch combined for 18 points.
APSU Storylines
A force in the paint
Banks has recorded 12 career double-doubles following her big night against KSU, and has led APSU in scoring 16 times throughout her four years.
Baker for three
Redshirt sophomore guard Falon Baker returned from injury last season and lit it up front deep, hitting 48 threes with a 37.5 percentage.
This season, she has knocked down 16 shots behind the arch, including at least one in her last five games.
B-Will on point
Junior point guard Bri Williams has played 34 minutes in back-to-back games, with her most recent against Kennesaw State resulting in seven points and three rebounds.
Off the bench
Junior center Brianne Alexander has proven to be a threat off the bench, with three double-digit scoring outputs this season, while senior guard Jacey Scott has played 14-plus minutes in her last three games, and finished with a season-high six rebounds against the Owls.
Follow the APSU Govs
Be sure to follow all the Austin Peay women’s basketball action at www.LetsGoPeay.com and the official Facebook page of Austin Peay Athletics. In addition, live play-by-play coverage can be found on Twitter (@AustinPeayWBB), while fans can watch live on C-USA.tv.
