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APSU Women’s Basketball finishes regular season at home against Murray State

Austin Peay vs. Murray State

Saturday, February 24th, 2018 | 4:30pm
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center

APSU Women's BasketballClarksville, TN – It is rivalry weekend in the Dunn Center as Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team rounds out their regular matchups 4:30pm, Saturday, February 24th against Murray State in the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border.

The Govs are boasting a 15 win season, the most regular season victories since the 2003-04 season.

Austin Peay Women's Basketball plays Murray State at the Dunn Center Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm. (APSU Athletics)
Austin Peay Women’s Basketball plays Murray State at the Dunn Center Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm. (APSU Athletics)

The Governors are also looking forward to their fourth-straight Ohio Valley Tournament appearance, but know the importance of finishing strong against the Racers on senior night.

Austin Peay will honor three seniors in Saturday’s festivities: Brianne AlexanderBri Williams and Falon Baker. Alexander and Baker have been with Austin Peay for four years, with Bri Williams joining the Governors from Gulf Coast State after her sophomore season.

APSU Basketball - Brianne AlexanderThe three seniors have become indispensable pieces of the Governors lineup, having a lasting impact on and off the court.

Austin Peay (15-13, 8-9 OVC) has already secured their place in the OVC Tournament and look to build momentum on both ends of the floor in the final regular season matchup with border rivals, Murray State. The Govs are currently shooting 39.8 percent from the floor, averaging 63.5 points per game.

Alexander and Keisha Gregory are leading the Govs, posting 11.6 and 10.2 points per game. Baker continues her three-point mastery, shooting 33.6 percent from behind the arc, draining a team-high 42 three-point shots this season

APSU Basketball - Bri Williams Bri Williams continues to selflessly run the Governors offense, racking up 94 assists this season.

Arielle Gonzalez-Varner continues to find her rhythm in the starting lineup, having started in the last three conference games for the Governors. She led the team in rebounding against the SIU Edwardsville Cougars, Wednesday, pulling down 10 boards.

The Govs welcome a potent offensive threat in Murray State, with Ke’Shunan James averaging 21.2 points per game for the Racers, while Bria Bethea pours in an average of 15.5. It will be the Governors’ patented defense versus the Racer offense in the final showdown of the conference season.

APSU Storylines

Series Structure
Austin Peay is 42-44 all time against the Racers having dropped the previous meeting at Murray State February 8th, 65-91. Austin Peay is looking for the third-straight season split with the Racers, having won the last two matchups in the Dunn.

APSU Basketball - Falon BakerDouble Digits
Alexander and Gregory are the only Governors averaging in double digits for the season, but three Govs posted double figures against the second ranked, SIU Edwardsville, Wednesday. Gregory had 13 points and six rebounds, while Alexander and Baker each scored 11 points against the Cougars.

Settling In
Gonzalez-Varner has settled into her starting role, pulling down a combined 25 rebounds in her first three starts. Varner has also turned her defensive presence into offensive production scoring 18 points in her starting role.

Post Season Implications
Austin Peay has already clinched their spot in the OVC tournament, but are playing for seeding. The Govs are currently sitting in seventh place, but could potentially leapfrog into sixth with a win over Murray State.

Follow the APSU Govs

Be sure to follow all the Austin Peay women’s basketball action at LetsGoPeay.com and the official Facebook page of Austin Peay Athletics. In addition, live play-by-play coverage can be found on Twitter (@AustinPeayWBB) and live stats will be available at PeayStats.com. Saturday’s game can also be streamed for free on OVC Digital Network.

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