CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Sophomore Whitney Hanley led all scorers with 22 points but Austin Peay State University women's basketball team dropped its season-opener to Chattanooga, 76-66, Sunday, at the Dunn Center.

Chattanooga (1-1) scored the game's first 10 points as Austin Peay missed its first five field goal attempts. Senior Nicole Jamen broke the drought with a field goal at the 15:47 mark and - after the first media timeout - converted the three-point play. Jamen would later hit a three-point field goal to cut the lead to one point, 10-9, with 14:14 remaining. The Lady Mocs halted the charge as Janaya Wade-Fray scored all four points in a 4-1 run to take a 14-11 advantage.

Austin Peay (0-1) took its first lead of the game with a 10-4 run that lasted four minutes - turning a 20-18 deficit into a 28-24 lead with 5:49 left. Junior Salem Richardson made a pair of field goals and Jamen chipped in four points during the run.

However, APSU would not hold the lead long as Chattanooga scored seven straight points to retake the lead, 31-28, with 3:22 remaining and led by five points, 36-31, at halftime.

The Lady Govs kept the game close through the first 16 minutes of the second half. They had a one-point led, 45-44, with 14:30 remaining and were tied, 54-54, with 10:45 remaining. However, each time Chattanooga responded with a scoring burst. The Lady Mocs closed the game with an 8-2 scoring run over the final 4:10 as Austin Peay went nearly four minutes without a field goal until Jamen scored the game's final basket.

Hanley's 22 points came on 9-of-15 field-goal shooting, including a 3-of-5 outing from behind the arc. Jamen pieced together a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double performance. However, the remainder of the Lady Govs starting five combined to scored 14 points and made just 3-of-18 from the field.

Shanara Hollinquest, the Southern Conference "Preseason Player of the Year," led Chattanooga with 21 points. Kayla Christopher added 13 points and seven assists while Jenaya Wade-Fray scored 14 points.

Austin Peay will have little time to recover from the loss as it plays its season's first road game, 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Lipscomb.

- AP -