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Austin Peay State University Women’s Basketball plays UT Martin at the Dunn Center, Thursday

Austin Peay (7-3 | 0-0 OVC) vs. UT Martin (3-9 | 0-0 OVC)
Thursday, December 30th, 2021 | 5:00pm CT
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center

APSU Women's BasketballClarksville, TN – Looking to pick up its fifth-straight win, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s basketball team will wrap up 2021 and play its final Ohio Valley Conference opener when it hosts UT Martin for a Thursday game at the Winfield Dunn Center. Tip-off is at 5:00pm CT.

The Governors wrapped up nonconference action with a 7-3 record and enter the OVC opener on a four-game winning streak with four-straight wire-to-wire wins. Austin Peay State University is 4-0 in the Dunn Center under first-year head coach Brittany Young and will look to pick up its first win against the Skyhawks since February 13th, 2018.
 
The Skyhawks ended nonconference play with a 3-8 mark, having lost their last six contests. UT Martin is 0-2 on the road this season, with their two losses coming at Kansas State, 44-30, and No. 10 Louisville, 62-30. UT Martin has won the last seven meetings with Austin Peay State University, including the last three contests in the Dunn Center.

Thursday’s game, as well as all OVC contests this season, will be broadcast on ESPN+.

About the UT Martin Skyhawks

After winning the 2020-21 OVC Regular-Season Title, UT Martin fell to No. 2-seed Belmont, 83-75, in the 2021 OVC Tournament Championship. The Skyhawks finished the 2021 season in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, where they lost their opening-round contest to Nebraska before beating Louisiana and Illinois State.

This season, 13th-year head coach Kevin McMillan has had to replace his top-three scorers from a season ago, with Chelsey Perry (22.9 ppg) being drafted by the Indiana Fever in the 2021 WBNA Draft, Dasia Young (12.7 ppg) transferring to Utah, and Maddie Waldrop (10.1 ppg) graduating.

UT Martin finished a tough nonconference slate with a 3-8 record, having dropped games at Kansas State, No. 10 Louisville, and Mississippi State. The Skyhawks also fell in a tight 54-49 contest against No. 24 Virginia Tech at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. 

Junior Paige Pipkin leads the Skyhawks in scoring this season, averaging 12.3 points per game, which ranks 12th in the OVC. Pipkin has also knocked down 16 three-pointers, which leads UT Martin and ranks sixth in the league.

Holly Forbes, a graduate transfer from Robert Morris, is UT Martin’s second-leading scorer and ranks 21st in the conference, averaging 10.1 points per game. Forbes is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game, which leads the Skyhawks and ranks seventh in the OVC.

UT Martin has four of the top-six players in the OVC in terms of minutes played this season. Kyannah Grant (35.9 mpg), Pipkin (35.4 mpg), and Hayley Harrison (34.3 mpg) rank second, third and fourth, respectively, while Forbes (33.2 mpg) has played the sixth-most minutes in the league.
 
The Skyhawks have the best scoring defense in the OVC this season, holding opponents to just 54 points per game. However, UT Martin ranks last in the conference in scoring offense, averaging just 47.1 points per game this season.

Series History and Lasting Meeting

Austin Peay State University has played UT Martin 86 times in women’s basketball – the only OVC team it has­ played more is Murray State (93 games) – and the 87th meeting between the Volunteer State rivals will break a 43-43 tie in the all-time series, which dates back to 1976.

Austin Peay State University held UT Martin to a regular-season low 56 points, but the Skyhawks knocked off the Governors, 56-51, on February 12th, 2021, at the Winfield Dunn Center in Clarksville.

APSU led 10-9 after the first quarter, but UT Martin took a lead it would never give up early in the second period. Austin Peay State University was able to trim the deficit to just one point with 55 seconds left in the contest, but the Skyhawks made 7-of-8 free throws to close the game and hold on for a five-point win.

Maggie Knowles and Brianah Ferby led the Governors with 12 points each, with Knowles scoring all of her points from behind the three-point line. Shay-Lee Kirby was the final Gov in double-figures, knocking down a pair of triples en route to 10 points.

Dasia Young led UT Martin with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Sade’ Hudson recorded 12 points and five boards. Maddie Waldrop added nine points, four rebounds, and two blocked shots.

APSU Notably

2021-22 APSU Women's Basketball - Yamia Johnson. (Robert Smith, APSU Sports Information)Austin Peay State University wrapped up nonconference play on a four-game winning streak to finish 7-3, the Govs will now begin their final journey through the Ohio Valley Conference when they take on UT Martin.

Austin Peay State University has played UT Martin 86 times in women’s basketball, that is the second-most games the Govs have played against any OVC opponent — APSU has played Murray State 93 times.

2021-22 APSU Women's Basketball - Liz Gibbs. (Robert Smith, APSU Sports Information)APSU has not trailed in a game since it fell to Tulsa, November 27th, at the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament. The Govs are on a four-game winning streak with four-straight wire-to-wire wins against Bellarmine, UNC Asheville, Gardner-Webb, and UT Southern.

Through ten games, Austin Peay State University is shooting 46.3 percent from the floor as a team — that ranks second in the OVC. The Govs have not shot over 45 percent from the floor in a season since the 2002-03 team set the program record by shooting 47.4 percent.

2021-22 APSU Women's Basketball - Lyric ColeAustin Peay State University also ranks second in the OVC in field-goal percentage defense, holding teams to just 37.2 percent shooting from the floor this season.

The APSU Govs rank second in the OVC in scoring offense (68.7 ppg), scoring defense (56.9 ppg), and scoring margin (+11.8), they are the only OVC team that ranks in the top two in each statistic.

The Governors lead the OVC in three-point percentage (.348) and three-point percentage defense (.243) this season.

Austin Peay State University has connected on 64 three-pointers this season, which ranks second in the league behind Belmont’s 74 triples.

2021-22 APSU Women's Basketball - Karle Pace. (Robert Smith, APSU Sports Information)Austin Peay State University swept the OVC weekly awards for the first time in program history this week with Yamia Johnson, Liz Gibbs, and Lyric Cole earning Player, Newcomer, and Freshman of the Week, respectively.

Yamia Johnson and Karle Pace are averaging 16.4 and 14.4 points per game, respectively, which ranks third and fifth in the OVC.

Tickets

Season and single-game tickets are on sale for the 2021-22 basketball season. Fans can purchase or renew their season tickets online at LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets or by calling the Austin Peay State University Ticket Office at 931.221.PEAY (7329).

More information on season and single-game tickets can also be found online.

APSU Govs Online

For up-to-date news and information on Austin Peay Athletics, check back at LetsGoPeay.com or follow along on Facebook. To keep up with the Governors women’s basketball team, follow along on Twitter and Instagram (@GovsWBB). Live stats will be available during all home games and select road games at PeayStats.com.

In addition, all Austin Peay State University home games, OVC games, and select road games will be broadcast on ESPN+ this season, visit the women’s basketball schedule at LetsGoPeay.com for a complete broadcast schedule.

Next Up For APSU Women’s Basketball

The Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team hits the road for the first time in OVC play when it travels to Southeast Missouri for a 2:00pm, Saturday contest at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

The APSU Govs are then back in the Dunn Center for a pair of games when they host SIU Edwardsville, January 6th, and Morehead State, January 8th.

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