38 F
Clarksville
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeSportsAPSU Women's Basketball faces Morehead State at the Dunn Center, Thursday

APSU Women’s Basketball faces Morehead State at the Dunn Center, Thursday

Austin Peay (6-7) vs. Morehead State (10-3)

Thursday, December 29th, 2016 | 7:00pm CT
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center

APSU Women's Basketball - Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team will play the first of 16 Ohio Valley Conference games when it hosts Morehead State, 7:00pm, Thursday, in the Dunn Center.

The Governors finished the nonconference schedule at 6-7, featuring key victories over Division I foes Arkansas State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, East Tennessee and Kennesaw State.

Austin Peay Women's Basketball hosts Morehead State Thursday night at the Dunn Center. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Women’s Basketball hosts Morehead State Thursday night at the Dunn Center. (APSU Sports Information)

The team’s six nonconference wins were the most since 2003-04, which was sparked by a four-game winning streak in mid-November.

Headlining Austin Peay’s early season success has been the consistent play of senior center Tearra Banks. The Louisville native has produced double-digit scoring outputs in all but one game, helping her achieve numerous accolades – earning an OVC Player of the Week recognition, reaching 1,000 career points and moving into the top 15 in all-time APSU scoring.

In addition, senior forward Beth Rates made history in her own right, eclipsing 100 career blocked shots, which allowed her to pass Joanne Arnold for fourth all-time. Other notable highlights include junior center Brianne Alexander dropping a career-high 23 points against Christian Brothers, redshirt sophomore guard Falon Baker heating up versus East Tennessee for 17 points and junior point guard Bri Williams becoming the team’s floor general in her first season.

The Opponent: Morehead State

The Eagles have opened the season red-hot, winners of their last five games and sit at 10-3 overall. Morehead State has scored 70 or more points in four of those five contests, with three victories in that span – Florida A&M, North Florida and Kennesaw State – occurring on the road.

Four players average double figures for MSU – Darianne Seward (11.7 ppg in three games), Eriel McKee (11.4), Brianna McQueen (11.0) and Aaliyah Wells (10.5). As a team, the Eagles average 70.6 points and 16.2 assists per contest.

Last Time Against the Eagles

Austin Peay exploded for 96 points the last time against Morehead State, leading to a 96-75 win, Jan. 20, 2016, in Morehead. Tiasha Gray (28 points, 13 assists) and Sydney Gooch (14 points, 12 rebounds) had brilliant showings, while Brianne Alexander and Beth Rates combined for 25 points.

APSU Storylines

  • Dominant in the paint. With her 13 points at Ole Miss, Banks reached 1,072 career points, and is now 46 points away from tying Carrie Daniels for 14th place on the all-time scoring ranks.
  • Rates climbing the charts. Rates is now 13 blocks away from tying Ashley Haynes for third-most in program history, currently sitting at 106.
  • Sixty-straight. If junior center Sydney Gooch plays in Thursday’s game, it will be her 60th consecutive appearance.
  • Defend the Dunn. The Govs are 5-2 on their home court this season, and 14-5 in the David Midlick era.

Follow the APSU Govs

Be sure to follow all the Austin Peay women’s basketball action at www.LetsGoPeay.com and the official Facebook page of Austin Peay Athletics. In addition, live play-by-play coverage can be found on Twitter (@AustinPeayWBB), while fans can watch the game on www.OVCDigitalNetwork.com

RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles