CLARKSVILLE - Austin Peay State University women's basketball team held on for an 88-84 regular-season ending victory against Southeast Missouri, Saturday, at the Dunn Center to earn the final berth in the upcoming Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Championship.

With the win, the Lady Govs earned the No. 8 seed in the upcoming tournament and will open the event with a noon, Wednesday contest against No. 5 seed Morehead State at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium.

Austin Peay (8-21, 5-11 OVC) led by 16 points, 74-58, after freshman Kristen Stainback's layup with 2:24 remaining. However, that was the final basket the Lady Govs would make as they went the game's final 2:24 without a field goal attempt. Austin Peay still had offensive opportunities, but was forced to convert from the free throw line as Southeast Missouri fouled the Lady Govs on nearly every possession the game's remainder.

 The tactic nearly worked as Southeast Missouri (7-22, 4-12 OVC) closed the game with a 26-14 run, slashing the lead to four points as the final horn sounded. The Redhawks converted on 9-of-12 shot attempts, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. Austin Pea meanwhile struggled at the free throw line, making just eight of its first 14 attempts before Stainback took control and made all six of her free throws in the final 22 seconds to secure the win.

The frantic finish was indicative of a close contest throughout, despite Austin Peay never trailing in the contest. The Lady Govs led by no more than nine points in the first half. Southeast Missouri converted a tradition three-point play with 45 seconds remaining to trim the APSU lead to 36-30 at halftime.

Austin Peay was able to push its lead into double-digit territory with 11:27 remaining courtesy junior Meghan Bussabarger's layup that gave APSU a 51-40 lead.  That basket was part of a 12-2 run that took 5:45 to compile and left the Lady Govs with a 15-point advantage with 8:57 left.  Austin Peay extended the lead to its largest margin - a 17-point, 70-53 advantage - on Stainback's three-pointer at the 4:16 mark which proved too much for Southeast Missouri to overcome.

Senior Whitney Hanley finished with a game-high 19 points despite fouling out with 3:46 remaining. Her three-pointer at the 14:40 mark was her 1,500th career point, making her only the fourth Lady Govs player to reach that milestone.

Hanley led a quintet of Lady Govs that scored more than 10 points in the contest as Austin Peay tied a season-high with 88 points. Freshman Shelby Olszewski finished with 17 points. Bussabarger, sophomore Nicole Olszewski and Stainback each scored 13 points.

Bianca Beck led Southeast Missouri with 18 points and was one of five Southeast Missouri players to score more than 10 points as Southeast Missouri set a season high with 84 points. Karley Evans and Brittany Harriel each added 15 points.

-AP-