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HomeSportsAPSU Women's Basketball takes down Jacksonville State at the Dunn Center, 47-43

APSU Women’s Basketball takes down Jacksonville State at the Dunn Center, 47-43

APSU Women's BasketballClarksville, TNShamarre Hale scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s basketball team to a 47-43 ASUN Conference win against Jacksonville State, Thursday, in the Winfield Dunn Center.

Hale’s double-double was the first by a Governor since D’Shara Booker’s 13-point, 10-rebound performance against Tennessee State in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals last season. It also was the first 20-point, 10-rebound double-double since APSU alumna Arielle Gonzalez-Varner had 21 points and 13 boards against Mississippi Valley State, on November 18th, 2019.

It became apparent early that Thursday’s game between the ASUN Conference’s top-scoring defenses would, be a defensive slugfest, as the two teams were both limited to under .300 field-goal percentages in the opening 10 minutes.

After Jacksonville State (9-6, 2-2 ASUN) controlled the opening tip, the Gamecocks drove in the paint but missed the layup attempt. The miss was the first of seven straight for JSU to open the game.

Making her fifth start of the season and first since December 13th, Gabby Zapata Smalls grabbed her first of five rebounds and found Anala Nelson who connected with Jada Roberson for the game’s first points on a pull-up jumper in the midrange. Roberson extended APSU’s lead to 4-0 after a pair of free throws on the Govs’ succeeding possession.

Austin Peay (8-6, 3-1) led 8-2 midway through the opening quarter following a basket by Nelson, but a 6-0 run by the Gamecocks after the media timeout forced the first of six ties with under two minutes to play.

The Governors and Gamecocks traded layups to end the first quarter and enter the second knotted at 10.

A Mahogany Vaught three-pointer from the right corner broke the tie to give APSU a 13-10 advantage on the second quarter’s opening possession. Jacksonville State answered Vaught’s triple with a 7-2 to take their first lead of the afternoon with 5:09 remaining in the opening half. JSU’s scoring run also ended a 1-of-7 clip from the Gamecocks to open the quarter.

Liz Gibbs tied the game at 17 and ended JSU’s scoring run with her first basket of the afternoon and found a Hale in the paint on APSU’s next possession to take a 19-17 lead with under 90 seconds remaining in the quarter. Jacksonville State took a 21-19 lead into the locker room after splitting a pair of free throw attempts and making a late three-pointer for the half’s final score.

Austin Peay State University held Jacksonville State to 7-for-30 from the field and 2-for-11 from deep in a first half that saw Hale lead the game with six points and as many boards.

But the best was still yet to come for the Chicago native. 

Both teams’ defenses were on full display throughout the first half of the third quarter, as it was not until Hale’s layup with 5:34 remaining in the period that either team entered the scoring column. Hale answered the make with another basket – her fifth in as many attempts – to give Austin Peay a 23-21 lead midway through the quarter.

After ending the scoring drought with back-to-back scores, Hale went on to score nine of APSU’s first 11 third-quarter points, leading to the Govs’ largest lead of the afternoon at 30-21.

After missing their first nine shots of the third quarter, Jacksonville State hit back-to-back three-pointers to cut into the Govs’ lead, but layups by Smalls gave APSU a 33-27 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Hale outscored the Gamecocks herself in the quarter, scoring nine of Austin Peay State University’s 14 third-quarter points while also tallying eight of its 12 points in the paint in the frame. The Govs also scored seven points off six JSU turnovers.

The APSU Govs maintained a multi-score lead throughout much of the fourth quarter and jumped out to an eight-point lead after Smalls scored APSU’s third-straight basket to start the fourth quarter.

Hale gave Austin Peay State University a 42-35 lead following her eighth basket of the game with 4:52 remaining, but it was the Govs’ final score for over four-and-a-half minutes, as JSU took a 43-42 lead – its first advantage since the second half began – after converting a three-point play with 1:49 remaining.

After trading three-point attempts, Hale ended APSU’s scoring drought and sealed the game with an offensive-rebound putback, drew the foul, and converted the three-point play to put the Govs up 45-43 with 35 seconds remaining.
 
Robson intercepted a pass after a JSU timeout and immediately drew a foul. With no more fouls to give, the Gamecocks intentionally fouled Anala Nelson, who made both of her attempts from the charity stripe to secure the win.

The Difference

Shamarre Hale. Hale accounted for 43 percent of Austin Peay’s points and 28 percent of its rebounds in the win, not to mention her .818 field-goal percentage, the highest by a Gov this season. Her career outing was one of, if not the best individual performances by a Gov this season.

Inside the Box Score

Austin Peay State University earned improved to 18-13 all-time against Jacksonville State, including 12-4 in the Winfield Dunn Center.

Shamarre Hale’s double-double was the first by a Governor this season and the first 20-point, 10-rebound double-double by a Gov since 2019.

Hale became the third APSU Gov with a 20-point outing this season, joining Yamia Johnson and Mariah Adams.

Hale’s 10 rebounds are tied for the most by a Gov this season, joining 10-rebound performances by Johnson and Gabby Zapata Smalls.

Hale’s nine made field goals are tied for the most by a Gov this season.

The 90 combined points between the Governors and Gamecocks are the lowest in the series’ 24-year history, while APSU also allowed a series-low 43 points.

Austin Peay State University has held back-to-back opponents under 50 points for the first time since holding Southeast Missouri and Tennessee State to 38 and 37 points, on February 10th and February 12th, respectively. It was the fifth time APSU had accomplished the feat in program history.

With her 28th win, head coach Brittany Young tied Hall of Fame head coach Susie Gardner for the fourth-most wins by a head coach in their first two seasons at Austin Peay State University. Young needs eight wins in APSU’s final 14 games to surpass Pam Davidson’s program record of 34 wins, set during the 1979-81 seasons.

APSU allowed a season-low .254 field-goal percentage in the win. 

Anala Nelson dished out a career-best five assists against JSU.

The APSU Govs’ 32 points in the paint were its fifth-most in a game this season.

Coach’s Corner

With head women’s basketball coach Brittany Young

Opening thoughts… “We talked about it all week. This was ‘toughness week’ for us. We know Jacksonville State, we know their identity, but at the same time, we know who we are and who we are aspiring to be. We knew this was going to be a game of grit and toughness. We talked about not letting the mental or emotional part of this game be the thing that took us out of this one and it didn’t. I am so proud of these young ladies. Every season, you look back at games and hope they are turning points. This is a big win, defeating last season’s ASUN Western Division champions.”

On Shamarre Hale… “To sum her up in one word: toughness. We talked about it all week, what toughness is. Just being able to endure and cope with adversity and we faced adversity late in the fourth quarter since we had held the game for most of the second half. We could have cowered and fallen, but they encouraged each other in every huddle. At the end of the day, you need players that are ready to make plays and she did that.”

On Kennesaw State… “We are hoping for home-court advantage against Kennesaw State. We played them during a five-day road trip and suffered a couple of injuries in it. Liz Gibbs and Anala Nelson have both stepped up well for the team since those injuries, so I think we will have a lot more poise against them, Saturday. It will be another game of toughness. We are going to rest up a little bit, but we are going to execute our great game plan for it.”

Next Up For APSU Women’s Basketball

The Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team tips off the second half of its 2022-23 season with Military Appreciation Day against Kennesaw State this Saturday at 3:00pm, in the Winfield Dunn Center.

The game also is the final of the Govs’ season-long three-game road trip.

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