Austin Peay begins its 18-game Ohio Valley Conference slate with a 5:30 p.m., Thursday contest against Southeast Missouri at the Show Me Center.
The Lady Govs bring their season's second three-game losing streak into Thursday's contest following a 76-64 loss at Southern Illinois, Sunday. Junior Whitney Hanley scored 20 points for the second consecutive game while pulling down five rebounds. Junior forward Jasmine Rayner added 16 points and six rebounds off the bench.
Austin Peay can point directly to its defense as the reason behind the team's 1-6 start. The Lady Govs entered the week ranked 322nd nationally in field-goal percentage defense. Austin Peay has permitted opponents to make an unsightly 46.8 percent of their field goals this season. Each of the APSU's seven opponents have made more than 44 percent of their field goals.
Southeast Missouri owns a 2-4 overall mark this season following a 54-40 loss at Texas-Arlington, Saturday. Sophomore forward Brittany Harriel scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss. The Redhawks were held to 23.7 percent (14-of-59) field-goal shooting.
The Redhawks have suffered through a shooting slump to begin the campaign, making just 32.3 percent of their field goals in the season's first six games. Southeast Missouri is an outside-oriented offense with its 135 attempts – making just 37 or 27.4 percent – from three-point range accounting for 41.5 percent of its total field-goal attempts. Eight of the team's 12 rostered players have attempted a three-point shot this season.
Thursday's contest will be the sixth game of the Lady Govs current seven-game road swing. Austin Peay returns to the friendly confines of the Dunn Center in six days for a Dec. 8 contest against Lipscomb.
KEY NOTABLES FROM LADY GOVS AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
- Junior guard Whitney Hanley scored 20 points for the second consecutive game and finished last week with 59 points, averaging 19.7 points per game.
- Freshman guard Nicole Olszewski posted her first collegiate double-digit scoring output, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
- Junior forward Jasmine Rayner scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds after coming off the bench for the third time this season.
- One game after surrendering a pair of double-doubles, the Lady Govs defense permitted five players to score more than 10 points at Southern Illinois. Sidney Goins scored 22 points in 24 minutes off the bench.
- Austin Peay lost the rebounding battle at Southern Illinois by a 41-29 margin, the fourth time this season APSU has not outrebounded its opponent.
„
- Southern Illinois made 28-of-34 from the free-throw line, setting APSU opponent highs for free throws made and attempted.
- The Lady Govs committed a season-low 14 turnovers in the contest. However, Southern Illinois converted those few miscues into 23 points (1.6 points per turnover).
NEXT UP: EASTERN ILLINOIS
„Austin Peay wraps up its season's first Ohio Valley Conference road trip with a 4 p.m., Saturday contest at Eastern Illinois.
