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HomeSportsLady Govs fall to No. 19 Pittsburgh in overtime

Lady Govs fall to No. 19 Pittsburgh in overtime

An overtime field goal was about the only thing missing from a stellar performance as Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team gave No. 19 Pittsburgh all it wanted before falling, 76-75 in overtime, Saturday, at the Dunn Center.

Austin Peay (3-8) missed all six of its field goals in the extra frame, including a three-point field goal in the closing seconds that would have tied the game. They converted four of their six free throw attempts in overtime to keep the score manageable.

Sophomore Jasmine Rayner posted her second-career double-double in the Lady Govs overtime loss to Pittsburgh, Saturday. (Robert Smith/The Leaf-Chronicle)
Sophomore Jasmine Rayner posted her second-career double-double in the Lady Govs overtime loss to Pittsburgh, Saturday. (Robert Smith/The Leaf-Chronicle)

Pittsburgh (9-1), ranked 19th in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Poll, did not fare much better in overtime, making 2-of-8 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free throw line. However, they converted an APSU turnover into a field goal to start the period and never trailed in extra time.

The Panthers trailed for most of regulation’s final eight minutes and were down by three points, 71-68, with 17 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, junior Taniesha Harrison missed a three-point field goal. However, sophomore Shawnice Wilson reined in the rebound and found junior Jania Sims at the top of the key. Sims three-point field goal found its mark, tying the game with six seconds left. Austin Peay’s final possession went for naught as junior Ashley Herring committed a foul on her drive to the basket.

Austin Peay again got off to a slow start to start the game, scoring eight points in the opening seven minutes and suffering through a field-goal drought of five minutes in that span. However, Pittsburgh could not build more than a seven-point, 15-8, lead with 12:45 remaining.

The Lady Govs shook off their cold start and scored the game’s next 10 points to take an 18-15 lead with 9:56 left. From their teams would trade the lead twice and the score would be tied four times before junior Selena Nwude’s field-goal at the 1:31 mark gave the Panthers a 33-31 lead they would take into halftime.

The second frame was marked by two big runs before the closing theatrics. Pittsburgh made the half’s first run – a 13-3 burst over four minutes that gave it a 50-41 lead with 13:06 remaining. Austin Peay countered that run with one of its own over the succeeding four minutes – an 11-2 charge that included three three-point field goals to tie the game 52-52 with 9:06 left.

Austin Peay did not have the best of shooting nights, making just 21-of-62 (33.9 percent) from the field. However, the Lady Govs stayed in the game courtesy the free-throw line where they made a season-high 26 on 38 attempts (68.4 percent).

APSU also won the turnover battle by forcing 22 Panther turnovers which they turned into an impressive 30-10 advantage in points off turnovers. In addition, the Lady Govs nullified the Panthers discernable size advantage on the board, losing the rebounding battle by a negligible 49-45 margin.

Sophomore Jasmine Rayner led the Lady Govs with her second career double-double – a 21-point, 12-rebound effort that included an 11-of-16 free-throw performance and a 5-of-7 effort from the field. Junior Ashley Herring added 15 points while junior Salem Richardson, who made her first collegiate start, finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Five Pittsburgh players scored more than 10 points, including junior Brittaney Thomas’ team-best 15 point effort off the bench. Junior Chelsea Cole grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds.

Austin Peay returns to action when it meets nationally-ranked Xavier in a Noon (CST), Wednesday contest in Cincinnati.

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