Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team fell to Lipscomb, 65-50, in its ASUN Conference finale, Saturday, in the Winfield Dunn Center.
Shamarre Hale and Mariah Adams combined for 29 points, but Austin Peay (16-11, 12-6 ASUN) was unable to overcome a Lipscomb (19-10, 13-4 ASUN) team that outshot the Govs 18-5 from the charity stripe.
The Bisons answered Jada Roberson’s game-opening layup with a 7-0 run and led by five midway through the opening quarter. They extended their advantage to 11-4 with 2:32 remaining in the frame, but the APSU Govs answered with seven-straight points to tie the game after 10 minutes.
After taking its second lead of the day on a mid-range jump shot by Anala Nelson to open the second quarter, Lipscomb retook the lead after another 7-0 run until a three-point play by Hale cut the Govs’ deficit to 20-18. Lipscomb extended its lead to 10 by the end of the quarter after five-straight APSU misses and as many turnovers in the frame’s final five minutes.
Hale led the APSU Govs with five points and four rebounds at the break, while Adams was second on the team with four points and a trio of assists.
Austin Peay State University answered a 10-4 Lipscomb run early in the third with six-straight points to cut its deficit to 38-28 with 5:43 remaining in the quarter, but the Bisons led 46-32 entering the fourth quarter after making five of their final eight attempts to end the frame.
The Bisons held their 14-point advantage three minutes into the final quarter until a pair of shots by Hale followed by a Tiya Douglas triple brought APSU within double-digits with 3:39 remaining.
The two sides combined for just one basket in the next two minutes of action but, despite the Bisons going just 6-of-10 on free throws over the final 1:07, the APSU Govs dropped their regular season finale.
The Difference
Free throws. The APSU Govs went 5-for-5 from the charity stripe, but the Bisons made 18 of their 24 attempts, including 12 in the fourth quarter and 16 in the second half.
Inside the Box Score
Austin Peay State University finished its inaugural ASUN Conference regular season 16-11 and 12-6 in Conference play.
The Governors fell to 22-7 all-time against Lipscomb and 11-3 against the Bisons in Clarksville.
Shamarre Hale led APSU in scoring for the 11th time this season with 17 points – tied for the 10th-most points by a Gov this season and her sixth-most in a game this season as well.
Mariah Adams’ seven assists are the fourth-most by an APSU Govs this season. She now has the top nine assist totals in a single game in 2022-23.
Mahogany Vaught’s two three-pointers are tied for her second-most in a game this season.
Hale went 5-for-5 on free throws – her third game this season with a perfect mark from the charity stripe.
Coach’s Corner
With head women’s basketball coach Brittany Young
On the Dunn Center… “The Dunn Center is a great venue to play games in. We bring recruits around campus and they’ll say ‘you guys are really getting a new gym?’ The first thing I want to say is that I am so thankful to have the Dunn Center to call home for the last two seasons. It always creates a great environment where the fans are right here with us. As for some significant wins, I remember the Murray State overtime win last season, beating Belmont for the first time in a long time right here on our home court. We have had some great wins here this year as well, but I think it is more about the young men and women, both players and coaches, that have been a part of this program previously and always put their heart and soul into this building. It hurts me that we were not able to win with so many people back today, but we have another chance next week.”
Looking ahead to EKU in the ASUN Tournament … “It is going to be a competitive matchup for us. We led at halftime when we played them at their place earlier in the month, but they scrapped and clawed their way back to make it close late. Eastern Kentucky is playing as well as any opponent in the ASUN right now. They have four-straight wins right now, so we need to be ready. They are a team that has a lot of veteran players just like we do, and those teams are dangerous, they do not want it to be their last game. We get a week to prepare, but we’ll need to come in with a different energy when we play next week.”
Next Up For APSU Women’s Basketball
The Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team now turns their attention to the ASUN Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament where they will be the No. 4 seed and host No. 5 Eastern Kentucky, March 5th, in the Dunn Center.
