CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ? Austin Peay State University women's basketball team relied on its defense to post a 65-54 season-opening victory against Lipscomb, Saturday night at the Dunn Center.

The win was the Lady Govs first in a season-opener since the 2004-05 season and was its seventh home opening victory in the last nine campaigns.

Turnovers were the second half's story at Lipscomb committed 19 turnovers in the frame, Austin Peay scoring 21 points off those miscues. The half started with a 9-0 Lady Govs run over the opening 3:35 which was helped along by seven Lipscomb turnovers.

The score would stabilize over the next nine minutes as Austin Peay could not build a larger lead but Lipscomb could not get any closer than five points, the last time after a pair of Jilian Partin free throws sliced the APSU lead to 49-44 with 7:19 left.

Lipscomb would be doomed by their own miscues again as five straight turnovers resulted in eight points and the lead blossomed to 14 points, 58-44, with 3:07 remaining. Austin Peay would push the lead to 15 points, 63-48, with 28 seconds remaining before settling on its final margin.

The first half was a more closely fought affair with the lead not getting larger than six points, a margin Lipscomb enjoyed three separate times in the half. Austin Peay did not enjoy a lead of its own until freshman Jasmine Rayner's field goal put the Lady Govs up two points, 27-25, with 2:20 remaining. Lipscomb would tie the game on its next possession, but a pair of Salem Richardson free throws gave Austin Peay its 29-27 halftime advantage.

Junior Nicole Jamen led Austin Peay with a career-high 14 points, adding five rebounds and four steals. Sophomore Salem Richardson added a career-high 12 points and added five rebounds. Freshman Emily Pollock chipped in eight points ? all from the free throw line ? and dished out eight assists and nabbed four steals, but turned the ball over eight times.

Austin Peay was out-shot, 38.6 percent to 48.8 percent, but the 27-15 turnover differential meant Lipscomb attempted only 41 shots against APSU's 57 field-goal tries. The Lady Govs also lost the rebounding battle, 36-31, but won the battle on the offensive glass, 13-7.

Jillian Partin led Lipscomb with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double effort. Valerie Bronson added a team-best 13 points and Jenna Bartsokas chipped in 10 points.

Austin Peay returns to action when it visits No. 10 ranked Louisville in a 7 p.m., Monday contest at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Ky.