Austin Peay (16-6 | 9-3 OVC) vs. Tennessee State (11-13 | 6-7 OVC)
Saturday, February 12th, 2022 | 1:30pm CT
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center
Clarksville, TN – With just six games remaining in the regular season and a spot in the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Championship already secured, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s basketball team looks to pick up its fourth-straight win and its seventh-straight win at home when it hosts Tennessee State for a Saturday showdown in the Winfield Dunn Center.
The game starts at 1:30pm.
The Lady Tigers got off to a 5-1 start in OVC action, but have fallen to 6-7 in the league and sit in sixth place in the conference standings. Five teams – Austin Peay State University, Belmont, Eastern Illinois, Murray State, and Tennessee Tech – have already secured their spot in the OVC Tournament, Tennessee State can be the next team to clinch a spot with a win or a Southeast Missouri loss.
The APSU Govs are 10-1 at home this season and have won six-straight games in the Dunn Center. Tennessee State is 6-7 away from home this season and has dropped three-straight games on the road entering Saturday’s contest.
Saturday’s basketball doubleheader is presented by Fat Shack. At halftime of the men’s game against Tennessee State, Austin Peay State University will retire the jerseys of women’s basketball player Gerlonda Hardin and men’s basketball player L.M. Ellis, along with legendary men’s basketball head coach Dave Loos’ 420 career wins.
Saturday’s game against Tennessee State will be streamed on ESPN+.
About the Tennessee State Lady Tigers
After going winless and finishing at the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference during Ty Evan’s first season at the helm, Tennessee State got off to a 10-7 start overall and a 5-1 start in conference play despite being picked to finish last in the OVC Preseason Poll. Since the 5-1 start in the OVC, the Lady Tigers have lost six of their last seven games, starting with a 72-69 loss to Austin Peay State University.
Now 11-13 overall and 6-7 in OVC play, Tennessee State leads the NCAA in steals (324), ranks second in steals per game (13.5), and ranks fourth in turnovers forced per game (23.8). Overall, Tennessee State has five players that rank in the top 11 in the OVC in steals per game this season.
Saniah Parker leads the Lady Tigers and ranks 13th in the country with 62 steals this season, she is also averaging 2.62 steals per game, which ranks 38th nationally. Dominique Claytor also has 55 steals and averages 2.58 steals per game, which ranks 39th and 38th in the NCAA, respectively.
Offensively, Tatyana Davis is averaging a team-best 13.1 points per game, which ranks 10th in the OVC. Gia Adams is Tennessee State’s second-leading scorer and is tied for 12th in the OVC in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game.
Claytor leads Tennessee State on the glass this season, she ranks sixth in the league and is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game. The 5-11 East Carolina transfer is averaging 9.9 points per game, which ranks 24th in the OVC, and is the fifth-best offensive rebounder in the conference, averaging 2.2 offensive boards per contest.
Tennessee State is also the second-best shot-blocking team in the conference, averaging 3.5 blocked shots per game. Kianni Westbrook has blocked a team-best 17 shots this season, which ranks fifth in the OVC. Parker has also blocked 15 shots, which is tied for 11th in the conference
Series History and Lasting Meeting
The 68th meeting in a series that dates back to 1978, Austin Peay State University leads the all-time series, 39-28, and is on a four-game winning streak that dates back to 2017. The Governors are 23-11 all-time against the Lady Tigers in Winfield Dunn Center.
Austin Peay State University trailed by four points with 1:25 left to play before an Ella Sawyer four-point play and eight-straight points from Karle Pace propelled the Govs to a 72-69 win over Tennessee State on January 22nd at the Gentry Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Pace led the APSU Govs with 23 points and four assists, she also grabbed five boards and recorded two steals. Sawyer chipped in 10 points, matched Pace’s team-leading four assists, and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. D’Shara Booker was the final Gov in double-figures with 15 points, she also pulled down a team-best six rebounds.
Four Lady Tigers scored in double-figures, led by 18 points from Dominique Claytor. Gia Adams added 13 points, with Sierra McCullough and Tatyana Davis each scoring 10 points.
Tennessee State won the turnover battle, forcing 31 turnovers and scoring 34 points off those turnovers while only turning the ball over 16 times and allowing the Govs to score just 20 points off turnovers. However, it was not enough to hold off an Austin Peay State University team that shot 60.5 percent from the floor and 72.7 percent from three-point range.
APSU Notably
Austin Peay State University is one of five teams — Belmont, Tennessee Tech, Murray State, and Eastern Illinois — that has already locked up a spot in the 2022 OVC Tournament. Tennessee State can become the sixth team in the tournament with a win or Southeast Missouri loss.
APSU has secured its third-straight winning season and its fifth-straight season without a losing record.
Austin Peay State University is 23-11 all-time against the Lady Tigers in Clarksville and is looking for its fifth-straight win against Tennessee State in the Dunn Center.
Through 22 games, APSU is shooting 46.5 percent from the floor — which ranks ninth in the NCAA and 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 single-season program record by shooting 47.4 percent.
Austin Peay State University ranks third in the OVC in scoring defense (59.3 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.389), and three-point percentage defense (.291) — the Govs are the only team in the league that ranks in the top three in all three statistics.
APSU’s defense held ten-straight opponents under 70 points to start the season and has only given up 70-or-more points twice. The Governors have held four opponents under 50 points and nine opponents under 60 points this season.
The Govs are shooting 36.9 percent from three-point range, which ranks 16th in the NCAA and leads the OVC, and are averaging 5.9 made three-pointers per game, which ranks fifth in the OVC.
Reigning OVC Player of the Week Karle Pace is shooting 45.7 percent from three-point range, which ranks eighth in the NCAA and leads the OVC.
Yamia Johnson and Pace are averaging 16.1 and 15.8 points per game, respectively, and rank second and third in the OVC in scoring. They are the only teammates in the top five in the league in scoring.
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 Ticket Office at 931.221.PEAY (7329). More information on season and single-game tickets can also be found online.
The City Forum Family 4 Pack is now on sale! For just $22.00, receive four tickets to both a men’s and women’s basketball game along with four attraction passes at The City Forum by using the promo code “FAM4” at checkout online or by contacting the Austin Peay State UniversityTicket Office.
APSU Govs Online
For up-to-date news and information on Austin Peay State University 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 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 continues its stretch of five games in ten days when it travels to UT Martin for a rescheduled Monday contest at 6:00pm. After taking on the Skyhawks, the Governors hit the road for a Wednesday game at Murray State that begins at 6:00pm before welcoming Tennessee Tech to the Dunn Center for the home finale and Senior Day on February 19th at 1:30pm.
The APSU Govs then wrap up the regular season on the road with games at SIU Edwardsville, February 24th, and Eastern Illinois, February 26th.
