THE LEAD
CLARKSVILLE – Senior guard Tiasha Gray posted a season-high 32 points to lead Austin Peay State University women's basketball team past Tennessee Tech, 91-75, in Ohio Valley Conference play, Saturday, at the Dunn Center.
WHO GOVERNED
Gray's 32-point outing did not start auspiciously as she ran into first quarter foul trouble for the second consecutive game. She was held to two points in the opening frame, but broke out for 30 points in the final 30 minutes. It was her ninth career 30-point effort and she added seven assists, seven rebounds and four steals in the 32-minute outing.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Each team landed a big blow in the opening half with Tennessee Tech landing a 20-6 run in the first quarter before Austin Peay returned the favor with a second-quarter opening 15-0 run. APSU trailed by just two points 38-36 at halftime.
The third quarter was a see-saw affair with three lead changes and seven ties, including the 59-59 score at quarter's end. Austin Peay finally took a control with a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter and sealed the win with an 8-2 run in the final 1:13.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Senior Tiasha Gray posted her first 30-point performance this season – her ninth career 30-point effort and first since scoring 36 in the 2014-15 regular-season finale against Southeast Missouri. She was 9-of-19 fromt he floor and 11-of-14 from the free-throw line.
Junior forward Beth Rates supplied a career-high 18 points, making 6-of-10 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. She added seven rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals on the night.
Sophomore center Brianne Alexander returned to the floor for the first time since the Kennesaw State contest, Dec. 12, and finished with 17 points thanks to an impressive 11-of-12 performance at the free-throw line.
Austin Peay's 34 free-throws made (41 attempts, 82.9 percent) were just two shy of tying the program record set against Evansville during the 1995-96 season.
Austin Peay starts OVC play 3-0 for the first time since 2009-10… It is APSU's first three-game home win streak since the 2012-13 season… It's the Govs second-straight home win against Tennessee Tech… Head coach David Midlick improves to 5-11 overall and 3-0 in OVC play in his first season at Austin Peay and 50-27 in his third season as a head coach overall… The Govs improve to 455-660 since 1976-77 and 231-330 in OVC action.
THE FULL RECAP
For the second straight game Austin Peay (5-11, 3-0 OVC) saved its best for last, saving a 32-point outburst for the fourth quarter against Tennessee Tech. After a seesaw third quarter left the game tied, 59-59, Austin Peay broke the game open with seven straight points just before the fourth quarter's midpoint.
Gray led that 7-0 charge with its first five points, including a conventional three-point play. She then added five assists the rest of the quarter, including three assists in Austin Peay's game-sealing 8-2 run over the final 1:13.
Tennessee Tech (5-12, 1-3 OVC) controlled the bulk of the opening half, which saw each team piece together a large run. Tennessee Tech dominated the first quarter with a 16-2 run, including a stretch of 11 consecutive points, to build a 20-6 lead and to hold a 23-10 advantage at quarter's end. Austin Peay replied with the second quarter's first 15 points and briefly took the lead, 25-23, less than four minutes into the quarter.
After that exchange of runs, the two teams traded shots the remaining six minutes. The Golden Eagles would build a five-point advantage, 32-27, with 2:48 left. However, Gray kept the Govs close, scoring seven straight APSU points. Sophomore Sydney Gooch hit a jumper with 10 seconds left to set the Austin Peay deficit at two points, 38-36, entering the half.
Gray's 32-point effort was her first this season and came in just 32 minutes of playing time. She filled in the stat sheet with seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
Gray got much-needed assistance from the frontcourt duo of junior forward Beth Rates and sophomore center Brianne Alexander. Rates poured in a career-high 18 points, making 8-of-10 from the floor, and had seven rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals. Alexander, making her first appearance since Dec. 22, supplied a 17-point, eight-rebound performance thanks to an 11-of-12 effort from the free-throw line.
Senior guard Samaria Howard led Tennessee Tech with 28 points, reaching 20-point territory for the fourth consecutive OVC contest. Sophomore guard Yaktavia Hickson added 15 points.
Austin Peay, which swept its three-game OVC homestand, now begins a three-game OVC road trip with a 5:30 p.m., Thursday contest at Tennessee State.
