CLARKSVILLE – It was a special night for Tearra Banks.
In Austin Peay State University women's basketball team's 79-63 victory over Tennessee State, Saturday, the senior center did something only one other Austin Peay State University women's basketball player has done in program history. Banks made all 11 of her shots from the field to finish at 100 percent, matching the APSU single-game record set by Gerlonda Hardin in 2002, who also went 11-for-11.
Banks finished the night with 28 points, helping her enter the top 10 in all-time scoring at Austin Peay with 1,319 career points. She passed Elaine Swafford on the list, and is now just six away from overtaking Paige Smith for ninth place.
The Governors continued their trend of shooting lights-out in the opening period, outscoring the Tigers 24-8 on 9-of-15 shooting. APSU carried its lockdown defense over to the second quarter, and for the first half overall, held Tennessee State to a 21.2 percent clip (7-of-33).
Banks scored 13 of her 28 points in the third stanza, and was subbed out at the six-minute mark of the fourth as the Govs led by 20.
Game Notes
- Austin Peay never trailed in the contest, leading wire-to-wire with its largest lead being 28 points at the 5:07 point of the third quarter.
- For Banks, it's also her fifth consecutive game to post 20-plus points, becoming the first Gov to do so since Whitney Hanley in 2011-12.
- With one blocked shot against the Tigers, senior forward Beth Rates increased her career total to 122, three shy of passing Amanda Behrenbrinker for second-most in school history. Rates also had 10 points in the contest.
- Junior point guard Bri Williams had a solid stat line, totaling seven points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
- The Govs knocked down five three-pointers, with four occurring in the first period.
Midlick's Message
"Tearra gets double and triple teamed and still produces. The team did a great job finding her – we had 19 assists – and she made some great catches and moves in traffic without fouling. She had an outstanding game offensively."
Tweet of the Night
Up Next
Austin Peay returns to action next Saturday, Feb. 11, in Murray, Kentucky for the second meeting against the Racers.
