CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University women's basketball team makes a brief one-game stop at the Dunn Center when it hosts in-state foe Middle Tennessee in a 7 p.m., Monday contest.
The Govs return home after a winless five-game road trip that concluded with a pair of losses at the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Classic. Austin Peay was within five points during the second half of both contests, but was outscored 98-66 in the second half in the two games.
In its last outing, Austin Peay led Indiana for nearly the entire first quarter, holding a 16-13 advantage. Indiana took a five-point lead into the halftime break but came out of the locker room and broke the game open. The Hoosiers 34-point third quarter equalled their first-half output and put the game out of reach. Junior center Tearra Banks led Austin Peay with a 21-point, eight-rebound in just 14 minutes action during the loss.
Banks' 21-point outing was a season best and pushed her season scoring average to 13.9 points per game despite averaging only 17.0 minutes per game. Senior guard Tiasha Gray returns to Clarksville seeking to end her shooting slump that saw her held to 29.4 percent (10-of-34) shooting during the Vanderbilt Tournament and lowered her season average to 16.4 points per game.
Middle Tennessee visits Clarksville as part of a four-game road trip. The Blue Raiders split a pair of contests at the Nevada Nugget Classic, falling to unbeaten Alabama in the opener before downing host Nevada in the second game. Senior Brea Edwards scored 28 points against Nevada and is averaging a team-best 22.2 points per game (14th in Division I).
Monday's contest will be the 68th meeting since 1976-77 between Austin Peay and Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are the sixth-most frequently played opponent among Austin Peay opposition. APSU has just nine wins all-time and its last win was a 71-69 decision in Clarksville during the 2005-06 season.
THE MORE YOU KNOW
GRAY MILESTONE WATCH STARTS: Senior guard Tiasha Gray became Austin Peay's all-time steals leader at Miami University, Nov. 19. She also is within sight of the following milestones during her final season in an Austin Peay uniform:
OVC Career Steals | Currently t-8th (254) | Next: 255 by Kendra Appling (TSU, 2005-09)
APSU Career Steals | Currently 1st (254) | Previous Record: 243 by Tracie Mason (1987-91)
APSU Career Points | Currently 7th (1,423) | Next: 1,442 by Amanda Behrenbrinker (1994-98)
APSU Career Assists | Currently 4th (395) | Next: 435 by Paige Smith (1999-03)
MIDLICK MUSINGS: The biggest story line during the Austin Peay offseason was the hiring of David Midlick as the program's 15th head coach. He is a familiar face to Austin Peay fans, returning to Clarksville after previous stints as a men's basketball graduate assistant (2003-06) and women's basketball assistant coach (2010-12). Midlick was involved in the recruiting for the current senior class, but did not have the opportunity to coach them, departing to become head coach at Delta State in 2012.
GOVS LEDGER: Midlick inherited an Austin Peay women's basketball team largely unchanged from its 2014-15 edition. Four starters and 11 letterwinners return from a team that posted the program's best record since 2010-11. Senior guard Tiasha Gray highlights the returning group after earning Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors last season. Also returning are junior Tearra Banks, sophomore Brianne Alexander, senior Jennifer Nwokocha and junior Beth Rates – composing five of the team's top six in both scoring and rebounding.
ABOUT THE BLUE RAIDERS: Middle Tennessee won its last outing, a 90-46 decision at Nevada, and brings a 2-3 record into its Monday visit to Clarksville. The Blue Raiders other win was a 84-75 home victory against Mississippi, Nov. 22. Senior Brea Edwards has enjoyed a fantastic start, averaging 22.2 points per game through five games this season after averaging just 7.7 points per game in 34 outings as a junior transfer. She has been dangerous from three-point range, making 48.9 percent (22-of-45), and is shooting 42.1 percent from the floor (32.3 percent inside the arc). Junior Olivia Jones, the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year, has gotten off to a slow start, averaging just 5.8 points per game and shooting just 15.8 percent from the floor.
AN AUSTIN PEAY WIN WOULD: Be its third straight home win… End its five-game losing streak… Be its first win against Middle Tennessee since Dec. 28, 2005, ending a eight-game losing streak to MT… Be its first win against a Division I opponent this season… Make head coach David Midlick 3-6 in his first season at Austin Peay and 48-22 in his third season as a head coach overall… Make the Govs 454-656 overall since 1976-77.
AN AUSTIN PEAY LOSS WOULD: End its two-game home win streak… Extend its losing streak to six games… Be its ninth-straight loss to Middle Tennessee… Keep it winless against Division I opponents this season… Make Midlick 2-7 in his first APSU season and 47-23 in his third season as a head coach overall… Make the Govs 454-657 overall since 1976-77.
