CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ? Sophomore Janay Armstrong nearly had her first career double-double, but it wasn't enough as Austin Peay State University women's basketball team dropped a 70-54 Ohio Valley Conference decision to Southeast Missouri, Saturday night, at the Dunn Center.

It was the ninth-straight loss for the Lady Govs who fall to 4-12 overall and 1-6 in league play. Southeast Missouri improved to 10-6 overall and remained tied for the league lead at 5-2 in conference action.

After not scoring for the first 4½ minutes, Austin Peay broke onto the scoreboard with Armstrong's two free throws at the 15:29 mark. The Lady Govs then scored eight of the next nine points to take their largest lead, 10-6, with 12:21 remaining. Neither team had clear control over the next 10 minutes with five ties and five lead changes. Southeast Missouri wrested control in the final 2½ minutes, scoring the final five points to lead 29-24 at the break.

The Redhawks jumped out with five of the second half's first seven points to build the game's first double-digit lead, 36-26, less than three minutes into the period. But it was the Redhawks 10 consecutive points over a four-minute span that did in the Lady Govs as the lead reached 19 points, 54-35, with 8:26 left. Austin Peay would get within 14 points late in the period but another seven straight points ended the threat and Southeast Missouri would not be threatened the game's remainder.

Two days after posting 18 points and seven rebounds at Murray State, Thursday, Armstrong reset both career highs with 20 points and nine rebounds against Southeast Missouri. She was 8-of-14 from the field, including a 2-of-3 effort from three-point range, and had an assist and two blocked shots while playing a career-best 24 minutes.

However, she was the only Austin Peay player to reach double-digit scoring territory. The Lady Govs offense made more than 40 percent of its field goals (23-of-57, 40.4 percent) for the first time in four games, but their four guards combined to make just 5-of-18 (27.7 percent) for 13 points.

Southeast Missouri countered with a balanced scoring attack that featured senior Missy Whitney's 18 points, junior Tarina Nixon's 14 points and junior Sonya Daugherty's 13 points. Whitney scored 13 of her 18 in the second half after playing only five first half-minutes due to foul trouble. The Redhawks offense made 22-of-47 (46.8 percent) of its field goal attempts, including 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) from three-point range. However, the game's biggest difference came at the free-throw line where SEMO made 18 (26 attempts) against the Lady Govs three free throws made (11 attempts).

After playing five games in 10 days, Austin Peay will have five days off before hosting Tennessee-Martin in a 5:15 p.m., Thursday contest.

- AP -