CLARKSVILLE – Junior guard Kristen Stainback scored a career-high 34 points but it wasn't enough as Austin Peay State University women's basketball team dropped a 95-81 Ohio Valley Conference decision to UT Martin, Monday night at the Dunn Center.

Stainback topped her previous career high in the first half alone, scoring 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting that included 4-of-5 from three-point range. She added 15 points in the second half, converting another 7-of-10 from the floor to finish with 34 points – doubling her career high (17 points) entering the contest.

Austin Peay (3-12, 0-2 OVC) capitalized on Stainback's outstanding first half. Stainback opened the game with her first three-pointer and eight minutes later her second three-pointer helped APSU maintain its lead. Stainback's third and fourth triples came within a one minute span and pushed the Lady Govs lead to 15 points, 33-18, with 5:20 left in the half.

The Lady Govs would take a 14-point, 45-31, advantage into halftime but there were plenty of caveats. Austin Peay committed 19 turnovers in the opening frame, but UT Martin only could convert those miscues into 10 points. The Skyhawks also made more trips to the free-throw line, converting 12-of-16 against the Lady Govs 3-of-6 effort from the line.

Those two caveats would loom large in the second half. UT Martin wiped out Austin Peay's halftime lead in the opening five minutes, courtesy a 21-7 run. The Skyhawks duo of Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome combined for 11 points in the opening burst.

The Lady Govs would absorb the Skyhawks opening blow and kept the game within a possession for the next two minutes. However, UT Martin landed another blow with a 9-0 run – all courtesy the Newsome-Butler duo – to build a 10-point lead, 68-58, with 10:40 left.

Stainback and sophomore Jennifer Nwokocha combined on consecutive baskets to get Austin Peay within six points at the 6:36 mark. Yet, UT martin scored the game's next seven points and it would not be threatened again.

Austin Peay committed only 11 turnovers in the second half, but UT Martin was scored 12 points off those miscues. In addition, the Skyhawks attempted 30 free throws in the second half, converting 25 of those tries.

Nwokocha added her second career double-double with a career-high 22 points while grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. Senior Nicole Olszewski handed out a career-high seven assists in her return from injury.

UT Martin's Newsome led all scorers with 37 points on 11-of-19 shooting and an 11-of-13 outing at the free-throw line. Butler finished with 30 points after being held to five first-half points.

Austin Peay begins a four-game OVC road trip with a 5:15 p.m., Saturday contest at Murray State.