THE LEAD
CLARKSVILLE – Four players reached double-digit scoring territory as Austin Peay State University women's basketball team posted a wire-to-wire, 80-45 victory against Eastern Illinois, Saturday night, in Ohio Valley Conference action at the Dunn Center.
WHO GOVERNED
Credit goes to a balanced Austin Peay offensive effort that saw 10 different players score. Senior guard Tiasha Gray's 17 points led the way, but she was one of four players to reach double-digit scoring territory. Eight different players had an assist with APSU receiving credit for 19 assists on 32 field goals made.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game was decided by Eastern Illinois shooting droughts to start the first and fourth quarters. Austin Peay scored the game's first eight points and jumped out to a 12-4 lead before the Panthers made their first shot from the floor at the 2:51 mark, starting the game 0-for-5 with five turnovers.
EIU hung around until the fourth quarter when it did not make a field goal until the 2:37 mark of the period. The Governors opened the quarter by making their first nine shots as part of 25-6 run to open the frame. Meanwhile, EIU started the fourth 0-for-8 with four turnovers.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The Governors scored 46 of their 80 points inside the paint. Austin Peay also scored 28 points off Eastern Illinois' 23 turnovers.
Austin Peay shot a season-best 57.1 percent (32-of-56) from the floor. It is the fourth time this season it has made more than 50 percent of their field goals in a game. The Governors have made 46.8 percent of their shots in OVC play.
Junior center Tearra Banks entered the game ranked ninth among Division I shooters (60.2 percent) and helped her cause with a 7-for-8 shooting night. She finished with 14 points in 14 minutes.
Austin Peay's 22-point first quarter was its seventh straight 20-point quarter dating back to the Belmont contest. That streak came to an end in the second frame as the Govs were held to 12 points as they committed six of their nine first-half turnovers in the period.
THE FULL RECAP
Austin Peay (7-13, 5-2 OVC) scored the game's first eight points, holding Eastern Illinois scoreless for nearly five minutes while forcing four turnovers. The Govs lead hit double-digits on junior center Tearra Banks' layup at the 4:08 mark.
The teams traded baskets for the next four minutes but Austin Peay solidified its double-digit lead at quarter's end. Redshirt freshman guard Falon Baker hit a layup and fifth-year senior Shelby Olszewski stole the ensuing inbounds pass and scored a layup at the horn for a 22-10 lead.
Eastern Illinois (1-19, 0-8 OVC) would not get closer that that 12-point deficit the game's remainder. The Govs lead would reach 22 points, 33-11, midway through the second quarter before settling at 17 points, 34-17, entering the halftime break.
Austin Peay broke the game open with a 25-6 run over the opening seven minutes fourth quarter. The Panthers did not score a field goal for over seven minutes until freshman guard Carmen Tellez' three pointer at the 2:33 mark. Austin Peay made its first nine shots of the quarter and went on to score 31 points in the fourth frame, making 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) from the floor.
Ten different Governors scored in the contest with all 12 seeing the court. Senior Tiasha Gray led the scoring effort with 17 points. Baker added 15 points, Banks chipped in 14 points and freshman guard J'Nayah Hall added 10 points.
Austin Peay made 57.1 percent (32-of-56) of its field goals, including 42.9 percent (6-of-14) of its three pointers.
Eastern Illinois junior guard Phylicia Johnson led all scorers with 18 points while grabbing five rebounds. She was the only Panthers player to reach double-digit scoring territory. EIU was held to 27.9 percent (12-of-43) shooting, including just 23.5 percent (4-of-17) from three-point range.
The Governors wrap up their two-game OVC homestand with a 7 p.m., Wednesday contest against SIUE.
