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HomeSportsAPSU Women's Basketball clashes with Belmont at the Dunn Center, Saturday

APSU Women’s Basketball clashes with Belmont at the Dunn Center, Saturday

Austin Peay (9-9 | 4-3 OVC) vs. Belmont (13-5 | 6-1 OVC)

Saturday, January 26th, 2019 | 1:30pm CT
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center

APSU Women's BasketballClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s basketball team faces a steep challenge, as they host Ohio Valley Conference leaders and in-state rival Belmont, 1:30pm, Saturday.

The Governors (9-9, 4-3 OVC) have had a roller coaster of emotion since OVC play began.

Austin Peay Women's Basketball takes on Belmont Saturday at 1:30pm. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Women’s Basketball takes on Belmont Saturday at 1:30pm. (APSU Sports Information)

Battling multiple injuries, the Govs won their first two conference games at home before losing the next three on the road.

A big fourth quarter against Eastern Illinois gave the Govs their first road win of the season as they got back to .500 in the OVC.

The Govs were eager to go Thursday against Tennessee State, their first game in two weeks in the Dunn Center. After a dominate first period, the Govs ran away with it in the second half, 74-47, to improve to 4-3 in the OVC. The star of the game was undoubtedly senior Keisha Gregory, who recorded her fourth career double-double, with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Gregory had 13 points alone in the first quarter, scoring the entire Tennessee State team.

The Govs used stifling defense to limit the opportunities for Tennessee State, with the 47 points allowed the least the Govs have given up this season. The Govs also grabbed 32 defensive rebounds, tying the season-high in that category from all the way back against Christian Brothes. Brandi Ferby, who had a career-high seven steals against Eastern Illinois, had six more against TSU, giving her 15 steals in the past three games. Ferby also chimed in with 11 points on 50 percent shooting.

About the  Belmont Bruins

The Bruins (13-5, 6-1 OVC) have been a traditional powerhouse since joining the OVC. The Bruins have won their past five conference games, four of them by double digits. In addition, the Bruins are 2-0 on the road in OVC play, whipping up on Jacksonville State in their OVC opener before defeating Murray State by seven their last game out.

Belmont is simply a tough team to score on, being only one of two teams to allow less than 60 points per game in the conference. They also hold their opponents to just 35 percent from the field, which is the best in the OVC. On offense, the Bruins are a volume shooting three-point team. All five starters for Belmont are capable of shooting the three-pointer, giving the Govs an extra problem to defend against.

The Bruins lead the OVC in three-pointers made and attempted, but percentage wise are just seventh in the OVC. They’re able to attempt more of these shots due to their dominance on the glass. The Bruins grab 42 rebounds per game and have a 5.7 rebounding margin per game, both best in the OVC.

The Bruins are led by OVC Preseason Player of the Year in Darby Maggard. The senior guard leads the team by averaging 14.9 points per game and is third in the OVC in three-pointers made, shooting over 35 percent from downtown. Ellie Harmeyer, who has won two OVC Player of the Week awards this year, is a force in her own right. Harmeyer averages 14.7 points per game and leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 8.4 boards per game.

The Bruins have gotten the better of the series as of late, winning the last four of five games. The last time the Govs won against the Bruins was in 2015 at home. The Bruins narrowly escaped with a win last season, defeating the Govs 78-75 in Nashville despite a career-high 28 points and seven three-pointers from Brianah Ferby.

Follow APSU

The game will be broadcast live on WAPX (91.9 FM). Live stats will be provided for the game and @AustinPeayWBB on Twitter will tweet live updates.

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