CLARKSVILLE - Austin Peay State University women's basketball team continues its four-game roadtrip by traveling to SIU Edwardsville for a critical Ohio Valley Conference matchup, 5:30 p.m., Thursday.
The Governors (7-8, 2-2 OVC) are still looking for their first road victory of the season after dropping games at Southeast Missouri and UT Martin last week.
The Govs and the Redhawks played a close game, until the Govs seized control in the third quarter, leading by as many as eight. However, the Redhawks closed strongly in the fourth quarter, taking control back and eventually winning the game.
The script was different for the Govs' trip to UT Martin, as they got off to the worst possible start. The Govs were down 26-6 after the first quarter and were down 22 late in the third quarter. The Govs put together a furious rally in the fourth though, cutting the deficit to just four points with 90 seconds left, largely in part to Arielle Gonzalez-Varner's 22 points. The Skyhawks held on for a close win, but the Govs outscored the Skyhawks by 11 points over the last three quarters.
Opponent Spotlight
The Cougars (7-8, 2-2 OVC) have played three of their first four OVC games on the road, including winning at Jacksonville State the last time out. The Cougars have given the Govs trouble in recent meetings, with the Govs winning just one of the past five games. The Cougars defeated the Govs in all three meetings last season, holding the Govs to just 45 points a game in those three meetings.
SIUE is simply not a great shooting team. The Cougars score just 59 points a game, but only give up 62 points a game, the second-best scoring defense the Govs have played this season (Illinois State). The Cougars shoot just 36 percent from the field and 26 percent from the three-point line, but are second in the OVC by grabbing 41.5 rebounds per game.
The Cougars are led offensively by Allie Troeckler, who averages 9.4 points per game and is the team's second leading rebounder. Despite the shooting woes from SIUE this season, Troeckler shoots 46.4 percent from the field and over 80 percent from the free-throw line.
How to Follow Along
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Scott Chase will also be on the radio call for the game for the Governors Sports Network on ESPN Clarksville. SIUE will also be providing live stats and @AustinPeayWBB will be tweeting live updates.
