APSU Sports Information
Johnson City, TN – Senior Tiasha Gray finished with 27 points but could not lead Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team past East Tennessee in an 80-76 nonconference loss, Monday night at Brooks Gymnasium.
Gray willed Austin Peay back to a five-point lead with a jumper and three-pointer on the next two possessions for a 62-57 lead at the 8:07 mark.
East Tennessee (7-6) withstood Gray’s charge and went on a 10-0 run over the next 3:13 to build its own five-point advantage. The Govs came up empty of four straight possessions during the drought. Meanwhile, ETSU’s Tatiana Tarter scored seven points during the run, her free throw at the 4:43 mark setting up the closing stanza.
The Govs whittled away at the deficit from the free-throw line, sophomore forward Sydney Gooch tying the game with a conventional three-point play with 3:01 left. The two teams then traded blows over the next two minutes, Austin Peay gaining a one-point, 76-75, advantage after Gray hit a pair of free throws with 41 seconds left.
East Tennessee’s Shamauria Bridges gave ETSU the lead for good when she made a contested three-pointer on the ensuing possession. Austin Peay’s Gray then drove down the lane for a running jumper but it bounced off the rim. Tarter then converted a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
The late ETSU charge was foreshadowed in the opening quarter which saw the Buccaneers make five of six to take a 22-13 lead at the first break. Austin Peay stormed back in the second, making four straight shots to start the frame and carried the momentum to a 38-35 halftime lead. Neither team could gain an edge in a ragged third quarter which left APSU with a five-point advantage.
Gray led all scorers with 27 points – her third 20-point outing this season – on 10-of-21 shooting, including 3-of-7 from three-point range. Junior center Tearra Banks added 19 points, making 7-of-11 from the floor.
Tarter led ETSU with 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting. Chandler Christopher and Kendrick each added 13 points. The Buccaneers won the rebounding battle, 41-31, thanks to a staggering 17 offensive rebounds that led to 17 second-chance points.
Austin Peay will take an 11-day break for the Christmas holiday before returning to action with a January 2nd Ohio Valley Conference home contest against Eastern Kentucky at the Dunn Center.
Box Score
Austin Peay (2-11) 76, East Tennessee (7-6) 80
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay | 13 | 25 | 18 | 20 | 76 |
| East Tennessee |
22 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 80 |
Austin Peay 76
| Player | FGM -FGA |
3FGM -3FGA |
FTM -FTA |
OFF -DEF |
TOT | PF | TP | A | TO | BLK | STL | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray, Tiasha | 10-21 | 3-7 | 4-7 | 0-4 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 38 |
| Gooch, Sydney | 4-7 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 3-3 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| Baker, Falon | 2-6 | 2-6 | 2-2 | 0-3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 |
| Gregory, Lakeisha | 2-5 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Rates, Beth | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 22 |
| Banks, Tearra | 7-11 | 0-0 | 5-6 | 1-7 | 8 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| Norton, Symantha | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Rich, Madison | 0-1 | 0-1 | 3-4 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Rivers, April | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| TEAM | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 27-56 | 7-20 | 15-21 | 9-22 | 31 | 20 | 76 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 200 |
East Tennessee 80
| Player | FGM -FGA |
3FGM -3FGA |
FTM -FTA |
OFF -DEF |
TOT | PF | TP | A | TO | BLK | STL | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tianna Tarter | 7-17 | 2-5 | 6-8 | 0-3 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 37 |
| Chandler Christopher | 4-10 | 2-4 | 3-4 | 1-1 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| Shomari Kendrick | 4-10 | 0-0 | 5-7 | 8-6 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 30 |
| Shamauria Bridges | 3-8 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| Sadasia Tipps | 4-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Malloree Schurr | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 3-2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Carley Lytton | 2-4 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| Raven Dean | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Yamile Rodriguez | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Adriane Vaughan | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| TEAM | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 29-62 | 7-15 | 15-23 | 17-24 | 41 | 17 | 80 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 200 |
