The 2009-10 Austin Peay State University women's basketball team begins its regular-season slate when it hosts in-state foe Chattanooga in a 2 p.m., Sunday contest at the Dunn Center.
Austin Peay had little trouble in its lone exhibition contest, downing NAIA-foe Cumberland 96-40, Monday. Thirteen of the Lady Govs' 14 rostered players scored in the contest, sophomore forward Lauren Jones leading all scorers with 22 points in 26 minutes.
The Lady Govs are coming off a 17-16 campaign last season which saw them win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament as the fifth-seed and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. Ten letterwinners, including four of the five starters, from that team return in 2009-10 along with three newcomers.
Chattanooga began its regular-season campaign with an 85-61 loss at East Tennessee, Friday. The Lady Mocs sufferered from a poor overall shooting night, making just 34 percent of their field goals, 22 percent of their three-point field goals and an abysmal 54 percent of their free throws. Senior forward Shanara Hollinquest was able to overcome the team's malaise and post a 14-point, 10-rebound performance.
The Lady Mocs return three starters and eight letterwinners from last season's team that recorded a 22-10 record, won the Southern Conference regular-season crown and was selected to play in the WNIT after falling in the SoCon Tournament championship.
The Lady Govs are 20-13 in home openers, winning seven of their last nine, including a win in last season's home opener against Lipscomb. Austin Peay is seeking to end a four-game losing streak to Chattanooga. The Lady Govs last defeated the Lady Mocs during the 1997-98 season. During the current losing streak – which began in 2004-05 – APSU has not scored more than 56 points, with an average losing margin of 16 points.
-AP-
