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HomeSportsAPSU Women's Basketball beats UT Martin, clinches OVC Tournament spot

APSU Women’s Basketball beats UT Martin, clinches OVC Tournament spot

APSU Sports Information

APSU Women's Basketball - Austin Peay State UniversityCape Girardeau, MO – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team punched its ticket to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with a 74-64 victory over Southeast Missouri, Saturday, in the Show Me Center.

APSU is the No. 5 seed and will face UT Martin, 1:00pm, Thursday, in the opening round from Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium.

Austin Peay Women's Basketball heads to Nashville Thursday to play UT Martin in OVC Tournament first round action. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Women’s Basketball heads to Nashville Thursday to play UT Martin in OVC Tournament first round action. (APSU Sports Information)

The two teams split the season series, with the Govs earning an 85-60 victory last time the squads met on February 22nd in Clarksville.

The Governors complete their regular season schedule with an 8-8 record for the third consecutive year, and will also enter the postseason field for the third-straight season.

Against the Redhawks, APSU’s senior leaders stepped up when it counted, as Tearra Banks and Beth Rates combined for 39 points – 27 in the second half.

APSU Basketball - Tearra BanksAfter an off night against the Skyhawks, Banks returned to her roots on Saturday, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds – the 17th double-double of her prestigious career.

Meanwhile, Rates took over offensively late in the game, totaling 18 points overall on 7-of-10 shooting.

The Govs and Redhawks were neck-and-neck down the closing stretch, separated by just one point at the 3:03 mark of the third quarter. However, Austin Peay went on a 9-0 run from that point on, holding SEMO to 0-of-9 from the field in that span.

Austin Peay trailed by as much as 12 points in the contest, but a strong third quarter with 27 points scored proved to be the difference.

Game Notes

APSU Basketball - Beth RatesFor Banks, it’s the 33rd time in her career to lead the Govs in scoring, and 38th time to hold the most rebounds.

She is now 21 points away from moving to seventh in all-time scoring with 1,422 career points.

Rates has now reached double figures in four-straight games, with her 18 points on Saturday matching her career-high set back in 2016 vs. Tennessee Tech.

APSU Basketball - Falon BakerRedshirt sophomore Falon Baker posted 14 points and seven assists, while also hitting all five of her free throw attempts.

Sophomore guard Keisha Gregory added 12 points – her fourth double-digit game in the last five contests.

She also had six assists and five rebounds.

Austin Peay held a 19-9 assist advantage.

Up Next for APSU

Nashville bound. The Govs open the OVC Tournament against UT Martin, 1:00pm, Thursday in the Municipal Auditorium.

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