LAS VEGAS, Nev. ? Austin Peay State University women's basketball team battled throughout its matchup with Ball State but could not overcome a slow start, falling 68-59, Friday night, at the Lady Rebel Christmas Classic.

The first half's story was Ball State's (4-8) perimeter attack as four players combined to make eight three-point field goals in the opening frame. After Austin Peay recovered from another slow start to get within four points, 11-7, Ball State would record three consecutive three-point field goals and added a conventional three-point play to push the lead to 14 points, 23-9, with 13:17 remaining.

Austin Peay (4-7) again climbed the mountain and cut the lead to nine points, 37-28, on senior Kellea Reeves' basket at the 2:30 mark. However, Ball State responded with consecutive three-pointers to end the half and led 43-28 at the break.

The Lady Govs committed 11 turnovers in the opening period which the Cardinals converted into 20 points. Ball State finished the half making 8-of-15 (53.3 percent) from three-point range, part of a 16-of-29 (55.2 percent) performance from the field.

Bacon continued her hot shooting in the second half making three of the Lady Govs first four field goals, all from three-point range. Salem Richardson followed that barrage with a three-point field goal, cutting the lead to nine points, 51-42, with 12:38 remaining. However, Ball State halted the Austin Peay scoring run with seven consecutive points and led 58-42 with 10:39 left.

The Lady Govs took another run at the Cardinals with a 10-1 run over the next three minutes, with Bacon and Ashley Herring each hitting three-pointers during the burst and slashing the lead to seven points, 59-52, with 7:25 left. That was as close as Austin Peay would get as Ball State converted four straight free throws and added a layup to push the lead back to 13 points three minutes later and would not be threatened the game's remainder.

“We have to learn how to play the entire 40 minutes,” said Lady Govs head coach Carrie Daniels. “We dug ourselves a hole in the first half and it was too much for us to overcome in the second half. I was encouraged with the way we responded tonight after what was a hard loss (against UNLV), Thursday. We kept battling and didn't let up and if we had stayed closer in the first half I'm confident the result would have been different.”

Bacon led Austin Peay with 22 points on 8-of-11 field shooting, including a 6-of-8 effort from three-point range. Herring added 12 points and a team-best six rebounds. Nine of the Lady Govs 10 players scored in the contest. Austin Peay won the rebounding battle, 37-27, including a 12-4 advantage under the offensive glass. After committing 11 first-half turnovers, the Lady Govs settled down in the second half and finished with 17 miscues but the Cardinals converted those errors into 25 points.

Ball State's Porchia Green posted game highs in points (21) and rebounds (10) and made 8-of-10 from the field. Audrey McDonald added 14 points. The Cardinals were 22-of-48 from the field, including a 10-of-22 performance from three-point range, and added a 14-of-17 effort at the free-throw line.

Austin Peay will take an 11-day break before returning to action with a 5:30 p.m., Jan. 3, contest at Tennessee Tech.

NOTES: Head coach Carrie Daniels inserted Bacon and Kellea Reeves into the starting lineup, Friday, in place of Ashlee McGee and April Thomas... Ball State associate head coach Lisa McDonald served as acting head coach, McDonald was a graduate assistant at Austin Peay during the 2000-01 season.

 

- AP -