CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ? Austin Peay State University women's basketball team needed 50 minutes, but ran its home win streak to five games with an 83-81 double-overtime victory against Tennessee Tech, Thursday night, in Ohio Valley Conference action at the Dunn Center.
Tied 75-75 at the end of the first overtime, Austin Peay (9-10, 5-3 OVC) saw sophomore Ashley Herring score seven points as part of a 7-2 run to start the period and led 82-77 at the 2:42 mark. Tennessee Tech made four free throws over the next 1:23 to cut the lead to one point, 82-81, with 1:19 remaining.
Neither team found the mark over the next minute until Herring stepped to the line where she missed her first free throw and sank the second to push the lead back to two points with 16.9 seconds remaining. The Golden Eagles drove the length of the court but a Tacarra Hayes jumper missed the front of the rim and the Lady Govs gained control of the loose ball and ran out the clock.
Austin Peay grabbed the lead early and led until the final three minutes. The Lady Govs led by seven points, 18-11, with 11:28 remaining but could not extend the lead as turnovers would plague them the half's remainder. Tennessee Tech took its first lead after a pair of Hayes free throws at 2:39 gave it a 30-29 advantage. A Blair Bowens three-point field goal gave TTU a 34-31 halftime lead.
The second half was a wild affair with nine ties and nine lead changes. Tennessee Tech got a Meagan Lyons on its first possession for its largest lead, a five-point cushion. The Lady Govs were unable to regain the lead until a Whitney Hanley three-point field goal gave them a 59-58 advantage with 5:31 remaining.
The APSU lead would reach four points, 68-64, after an April Thomas jumper with one minute remaining, but the lead could not stand. TTU's Jasmine White tied the game with a layup as time expired, sending the game to overtime tied, 69-69.
In the first overtime, Tennessee Tech (4-15, 2-6) grabbed a 75-74 lead with 1:08 remaining on a Hayes field goal. However, the Golden Eagles fouled before the ball could be in-bounded and Emily Pollock made one of her two free throws to tie the game.
Hanley led the Lady Govs with 19 points, all in regulation. Herring added 18 points, including nine points in the two overtimes. Thomas chipped in 16 points despite playing only 26 minutes and scoring only two first-half points.
The Lady Govs made 41.2 percent (28-of-68) of their field goals to win the shooting battle as TTU made just 35.7 percent (25-of-70) of its field goals. Austin Peay committed just eight turnovers in the second half and two overtimes after posting 11 turnovers in the first half.
TTU's Hayes led all scorers with 20 points, including 10 points from the free-throw line. White had 19 points, Bowens chipped in 14 points and Krystal Stirrup posted 13 points.
Tennessee Tech shot a season-best 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from three-point range and was just shy of the season-high from the free-throw line, converting 82.8 percent (24-of-29). However, the Golden Eagles committed 27 turnovers ? 16 in the second half and two overtimes ? which Austin Peay converted into 31 points.
Austin Peay returns to action with a 5:15 p.m., Saturday league outing against Jacksonville State at the Dunn Center.
- AP -
