CLARKSVILLE - Austin Peay State University women's basketball team could not slow nationally-ranked Vanderbilt, dropping an 83-51 non-conference tilt, Wednesday night at the Dunn Center.

Austin Peay (2-4) kept the game close in the opening seven minutes and trailed by only three points, 10-7, after sophomore Meghan Bussabarger made a pair of free throws. However, the Lady Govs could not maintain their early momentum and made only two of their next 13 shots.

No. 25/22 Vanderbilt (7-0), which entered the game shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, found its shooting stroke while Austin Peay struggled. The Commodores made 8-of-12 attempts from the field over the next eight minutes as part of a 21-4 run that broke the game open with VU leading 31-11 with 5:40 left. Vanderbilt made 50 percent (15-of-30) of its first half shots and took a 22-point, 43-21 lead into halftime.

The Lady Govs shooting warmed only marginally in the second half, converting 37 percent of their shots (10-of-37). Vanderbilt kept the pressure on, making 45.2 percent (14-of-31) as its lead reached 30 points seven minutes into the second half.

Junior Leslie Martinez led the Lady Govs with her season's first double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Sophomore Shyra Brown added a career-high 13 points. Both Martinez and Brown led a bench effort that scored 30 of the Lady Govs 51 points. Austin Peay's starting five - led by senior Whitney Hanley's eight points - was held to 21 points and made only 19.3 percent (6-of-31) of its field goals.

Vanderbilt's Christina Foggie led all scorers with a career-high 25-point effort. Stephanie Holzer added 15 points and eight rebounds.

Austin Peay completes its two-game homestand with a 7 p.m., Saturday contest against UAB.

-AP-