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Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team opened a double-digit lead in the first half and never looked back en route to a 79-61 victory against Tennessee Tech, Tuesday night, in first-round action of the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at the Dunn Center.
The game was nip-and-tuck over the opening 10 minutes with nether team enjoying more than a six-point lead. After Austin Peay controlled the opening four minutes, Tennessee Tech scored six straight points to take its only lead, 12-11, on Kellie Cook’s three-pointer at the 14:52 mark.
Austin Peay (13-17) regained the lead with Brooke Faulkner’s layup at the 13:36 mark. But it was a 14-5 run that began at the 11:40 mark that pushed APSU’s lead into double digits for the first time. Tennessee Tech stemmed the tide momentarily as a Tacarra Hayes basket cut the lead to eight points. However, Austin Peay got a pair of baskets from Nicole Jamen and a jumper from Darcie Warner to put the lead at 14 points, 37-23, with 1:44 remaining before settling at 13 points, 40-27, at halftime.
Tennessee Tech (14-16) could not cut the lead to single digits in the second half. Austin Peay got three consecutive baskets from Dalila Thomas to build its largest lead – a 19-point, 59-40 advantage with 12:48 remaining – forcing a TTU timeout. The timeout seemingly helped as the Golden Eagles scored 11 of the next 13 points to narrow the deficit to 10 points, 61-51, with 9:21 left.
But that was as close as Tennessee Tech would get as Austin Peay used a 7-2 run over the next 1:22 to rebuild a 15-point advantage with eight minutes left and the Lady Govs were not threatened the game’s remainder.
Austin Peay’s Ashley Herring scored a game-high 22 points, making 6-of-13 from the field, and grabbed nine rebounds. Jamen chipped in her season’s 10th double-double with a 13-point, 15-rebound performance. Whitney Hanley chipped in 18 points and Thomas finished with 10 points off the bench.
Cook led Tennessee Tech with 18 points. Hayes finished with 13 points and eight assists while Krystal Stirrup added 12 points off the bench.
Austin Peay advances to the semifinal round and will meet second-seed Morehead State in a 2 p.m., Friday contest at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
