CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Austin Peay State University women's basketball team overcame another slow start to close its regular-season slate with a 77-60 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Southeast Missouri, Saturday night at the Show Me Center.

Southeast Missouri (7-21, 4-14 OVC) scored the game's first seven points and led 9-5 at the first timeout courtesy a 4-of-7 shooting performance. After scoring again to push the lead to five points, 11-6 with 14:15 left, the Redhawks would suffer a nearly six-minute scoring drought.

Austin Peay (12-17, 11-7) took advantage of the drought, scoring the game's next 19 points. The Lady Govs took the lead for good, 12-11, on Whitney Hanley's three-pointer with 13:23 remaining in the period. The APSU lead would reach 18 points in the frame before settling on 15 points, 42-27, at halftime.

After opening the game by making two of its first seven shots, Austin Peay made 11 of its final 19 in the period. Southeast Missouri closed the period by making 7-of-25 after its hot start.

Austin Peay would maintain its double-digit lead throughout most of the second half. Southeast Missouri had one last run in reserve piecing together a 9-2 run over 2:38 and cutting the deficit to nine points, 64-55, with 6:32 left. But that was the Redhawks last gasp as the Lady Govs closed the game with a 13-5 run to set the final margin.

Junior Ashley Herring recorded her third career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. She was joined in double-digit scoring territory by sophomore Whitney Hanley (15), senior Nicole Jamen (12) and junior Brooke Faulkner (10).

Katie Norman led Southeast Missouri with 12 points.

Austin Peay, which finished third in the OVC regular-season race, begins play in the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference tournament with a 5:30 p.m., Tuesday contest against sixth-seeded Tennessee Tech at the Dunn Center.

- AP -