CLARKSVILLE - Sophomore Jasmine Rayner posted career highs in points (22) and steals (five) to lead Austin Peay State University women's basketball team past Eastern Kentucky, 68-57, in Ohio Valley Conference action, Thursday night, at the Dunn Center.

Rayner added 15 rebounds to record her season's fifth double-double - all in the season's last 11 games. She was 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) from the field and 4-of-9 (44.4 percent) from the free throw line. Rayner finished out the box score up for it with the career high effort in steals while dishing out three assists.

The game itself was nip-and-tuck over the opening 15 minutes with five lead changes and one tie. Austin Peay (8-13, 7-3 OVC) led by three-points with five minutes remaining after a Rayner field goal - she had 10 points at halftime. However, the Lady Govs did not hit a field goal over the final five minutes, a lone free throw by junior Ashley Herring the only points during that span.

Eastern Kentucky (9-11, 5-5 OVC) closed the half with a 9-1 run as both Brittany Coles and Shakeyia Colyer each made three-pointers and Cherie White converted a traditional three-point play. The Lady Colonels five-point, 28-23, halftime advantage was their largest lead of the game.

Austin Peay came out of the halftime break a visibly different team and opened the second half with eight unanswered points - as four different players each scored a layup - to take the lead, 31-28, with 17:31 remaining.

Eastern Kentucky maintained close contact over the next three minutes and trailed by just two points, 36-34, with 13:57 left but saw the game spiral out of their control from there.

The Lady Govs used a 15-2 run over the next seven minutes to build a 15-point, 51-36, lead at the 6:43 mark. Austin Peay closed the game by making 6-of-9 from the free throw line and 4-of-5 from the field over the final five minutes to counteract a late scoring burst by Eastern Kentucky. The Lady Colonels scored 16 points in the final five minutes but Austin Peay held its own with 15 points.

Hanley added 12 points in the Lady Govs winning effort and no other player reached double-digit scoring territory. Senior Nicole Jamen finished with eight points, eight rebounds and a career-high five steals.

White and Colyer each led Eastern Kentucky with 15 points, finishing with eight rebounds and seven rebounds, respectively.

Austin Peay - which won its seventh straight home OVC contest - continues its brief two-game homestand with a 5:15 p.m., Saturday contest against second-place Morehead State.

- AP -