THE LEAD
DAYTON, Ohio – Junior Tearra Banks notched her season's first double-double in her seasn's first start but Austin Peay State University women's basketball team could not keep up in an offensive second half battle, falling 77-56 to Wright State in nonconference action at the Nutter Center.
WHO GOVERNED
Junior center Tearra Banks made her season's first start and posted her first double-double with a 19-point, 10-rebound performance. She chipped in a pair of blocked shots and a pair of steals in the season-high 26-minute effort.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half was a tightly-fought skirmish with neither team enjoying more than a six-point lead. The Raiders led by that margin early in the second quarter before Austin Peay rallied to take its first lead.
Austin Peay built a three-point lead with four minutes remaining in the first half, but held a lead for a total of 4:32 in the period. Wright State scored the final basket of the half to provide a narrow halftime lead.
Wright State broke the game open with a 23-9 run over the final 8:01 of the third quarter and didn't look back in the fourth, outscoring APSU 46-27 in the second half.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Austin Peay had just four players score through three quarters -- Banks, senior Tiasha Gray, sophomore Madison Rich and redshirt freshman Falon Baker – with four more joining the scoring effort in the fourth quarter.
Gray played just 31 minutes after fouling out with 6:42 remaining in the game – her sixth career foul out. She finished with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Rich chipped in 10 points while Baker had seven points in the outing.
THE FULL RECAP
Trailing by two at halftime, Austin Peay (2-3) forced two ties in the second half's opening two minutes. Senior Tiasha Gray's layup at the 8:01 mark forcing the game's final tie, 33-33.
Wright State (3-1) slowly eased the game open over the next 4:30, with the lead hitting 10 points for the first time on a pair of Kim Demmings free throws at the 3:27 mark. The Raiders ultimately used a 23-9 run over the final 8:01 to build a 56-42 lead at quarter's end.
The Raiders did not allow Austin Peay to close the deficit and built its advantage to 20 points four minutes into the final frame. Austin Peay closed to 17 points shortly after that, but would not get closer.
The second half was in stark contrast to the first two quarters that saw the teams exchange the lead 10 times. Wright State took a four-point lead at the quarter – the largest lead by any team in the first frame – after a JJ Williams three pointer and later free throw.
Demmings' jumper at the 7:47 mark of the second quarter gave the Raiders their largest lead of the first half. Austin Peay responded with the game's next seven points, Gray hitting a layup at the 5:35 mark for a 20-19 lead.
Moments later, Banks hit a layup to give the Govs their largest lead of the game, 25-22, with 3:59 left. The APSU lead would not hold as Wright State scored the next four points. From there the teams traded baskets the rest of the way before Demmings jumper gave the Raiders a 31-29 halftime lead.
Banks notched her seventh career double-double with APSU bests in both scoring (18) and rebounding (10) while tacking on two blocked shots and two steals.
Gray chipped in 12 points and six rebounds prior to fouling out with six minutes remaining. Sophomore Madison Rich hit a trio of three pointers and finished with 10 points.
Demmings led all scorers with a Wright State-best 24 points. Antania Hayes added a nine-point, 11-rebound performance.
Austin Peay continues its season's first road trip with a 6 p.m. (CT), Monday contest at Ball State.
