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HomeSportsAPSU Women's Basketball travels to SIU Edwardsville, Wednesday

APSU Women’s Basketball travels to SIU Edwardsville, Wednesday

Austin Peay (12-13/6-6 OVC) at SIU Edwardsville (10-16/6-7 OVC)

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 | 7:00pm CT
Edwardsville, IL | Vadalabene Center

APSU Women's Basketball - Austin Peay State UniversityEdwardsville, IL – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team awaits a pivotal road game at SIU Edwardsville, 7:00pm, Wednesday, at the Vadalabene Center with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season .

APSU is one of three teams with a 6-6 OVC record, while an additional three squads are just below the Govs at 6-7 – one of those being SIU Edwardsville.

Austin Peay Women's Basketball faces SIU Edwardsville Cougars in pivotal road game, Wednesday night. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Women’s Basketball faces SIU Edwardsville Cougars in pivotal road game, Wednesday night. (APSU Sports Information)

Most recently, Austin Peay fell on the wrong end of a 67-62 decision at Murray State, despite another standout stat line by senior center Tearra Banks.

Banks totaled 31 points and nine rebounds in the contest, her sixth consecutive game to record 20 or more points. She became the first APSU player to do so since Gerlonda Hardin in 2004.

Banks is now ranked eighth nationally in field goals made (201), ninth in field goal percentage (61.7 percent) and 22nd in scoring (19.5 ppg).

Sophomore guard Keisha Gregory upped her game offensively on Saturday, posting a career-high 14 points, along with seven rebounds and three steals. The Governors held advantages over Murray State in multiple categories – a 34-32 rebound edge, 13-10 assist lead and also committed fewer turnovers, 13-10 – while also going 13-of-15 from the free throw line.

About the SIU Edwardsville Cougars

SIU Edwardsville CougarsThe Cougars encountered a roller coaster month of January, losing four-straight games before flipping the swatch and winning four in a row. In February, SIU Edwardsville is 1-3, including back-to-back losses against Southeast Missouri and UT Martin entering Wednesday.

Under fifth-year head coach Paula Buscher, the Cougars ranked seventh in the conference in both scoring offense (69.1) and defense (71.2). SIUE is also one of the top rebounding teams in OVC play this season at 41.1 per game, helped by Donshel Beck who averages 8.1 a night.

Beck also leads the squad in scoring at 14.3 points per game, while Lauren White (12.1 ppg) and emerging newcomer Nakiah Bell (10.2 ppg) also average double figures. Bell is coming off 16 and 18 point performances in the team’s previous two contests.

Last Time Against the Cougars

Austin Peay scored the most points in a regulation game this season when the two sides last met on January 11th in Clarksville, with the Govs winning 85-62. Four players – Banks, senior forward Beth Rates, junior center Brianne Alexander and Gregory – each had 10-plus points, highlighted by Gregory’s first-career double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds).

APSU Storylines

APSU Basketball - Tearra BanksBanks moves to eighth in all-time scoring
With 31 points at Murray State, Banks moved to eighth in career points with 1,350, passing both Paige Smith and Tracie Mason on the list.

She is now 93 points away from overtaking Amanda Behrenbrinker for seventh place.

Moving up other categories
Banks also climbed another spot in the all-time field goals made rankings, passing Whitney Hanley for sixth with 558. She is also three blocked shots away from breaking into the top 10.

APSU Basketball - Beth RatesRates chasing second all-time in blocks
Currently with 122 blocked shots, Rates is three away from moving to second in program history over Behrenbrinker.

Baker for three
Redshirt sophomore guard Falon Baker has made a three-pointer in seven consecutive games, including two in each of the previous two matchups.

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), while fans can watch the game on OVCDigitalNetwork.com

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