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HomeSportsAPSU Women's Basketball loses to Murray State Thursday

APSU Women’s Basketball loses to Murray State Thursday

APSU Sports Information

APSU Women's BasketballMurray, KY – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team fell to Murray State in the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border, Thursday, 91-65. 

Austin Peay (13-11, 6-7 OVC) came out swinging against the Racers, making their first three attempts from beyond the arc, and jumping out to an early seven-point lead.

Austin Peay Women's Basketball unable to contain hot shooting Murray State Thursday afternoon. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Women’s Basketball unable to contain hot shooting Murray State Thursday afternoon. (APSU Sports Information)

The Governors shot 50.0 percent from the floor and 60.0 percent from beyond the arc in the first period, but Murray State fought back into the game, taking a four-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

Falon Baker and Brianne Alexander controlled the Governors’ offense during the first half with Baker scoring 12 points and Alexander adding eight points and two rebounds. Despite the strong performance from veteran players, Austin Peay could not stop the Racers offense, which shot 62.1 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes.

In the second half, Arielle Gonzalez-Varner posted eight points as the Govs made several runs to get back into the game, but could not slow down the Murray State offense, falling to the Racers 91-65.

Baker led the Govs with 14 points and two steals, while Gonzalez-Varner posted 11 points and a team high six rebounds in 24 minutes on the floor. Alexander also scored in double digits with 10 points and five rebounds.

Game Notes

Austin Peay shot over 40.0 percent in every quarter, shooting 46.3 percent from the floor for the game.

Three Governors scored in double digits: Baker (14), Gonzalez-Varner (11) and Alexander (10).

Gonzalez-Varner recorded a career high 11 points and pulled down six rebounds off the bench.

The Govs scored 32 points in the paint.

The Govs won the bench battle outscoring the Racers’ bench 27-13.

David Midlick’s Musings

Couldn’t Miss
“We tried to go zone and they hit threes, we tried a bunch of different things to guard a really great player who ends up having 40 tonight. I give them the credit, they exploited any weakness we had defensively and they were hot from the floor.”

Offensive Production
“We shot near 50.0 percent, but our turnovers really hurt us in the first half; they had 19 points off of our turnovers at the half. If we can eliminate that, it is a pretty close game a halftime, but they got several easy baskets in transition and when you couple that with shooting the basketball well, that isn’t a good combination.”

Looking Ahead
“Tomorrow is a new day, we will watch the tape and figure out what we did right and what we did wrong. We will put a scout together and be ready to play EIU, Saturday.”

Next Up for APSU Women’s Basketball

The Governors will wrap up their four-game road swing 1:00pm, at Eastern Illinois, Saturday, February 10th.

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