CLARKSVILLE – The next installment of the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border takes place when Austin Peay State University women's basketball team plays host to archrival Murray State, 2 p.m., Saturday, in the Dunn Center.
The Governors (12-12, 7-6 OVC) earned a huge Ohio Valley Conference win on Thursday against Morehead State. The Govs came out firing, nailing nine three-pointers in the first half, the most in a half this season. The hot shooting from beyond the arc led to 51 first-half points, the most since the first half in the OVC opener against Eastern Kentucky.
While the Govs' shooting from three-point range slowed dramatically (just one made three-pointer in the second half), the defensive effort turned up in the second half. The Govs also used a season-best performance from the free-throw line to fend off any Morehead State comeback attempts. The Govs hit 28 free throws, the most in a game since Jan. 9, 2016 against Tennessee Tech. The defense and free-throw shooting allowed the Govs to maintain a healthy lead, as the Eagles did not get closer than seven points in the final quarter.
Opponent Spotlight
The Racers (10-14, 6-7 OVC) have struggled a lot since losing their two best players from a year ago, but have recently come on strong, winning their last three OVC contests. The latest meeting will be the 88th all-time meeting, with the series as close as can be, as the Govs trail, 44-43.
The Racers have shot the ball at a decent enough level, ranking fifth and sixth in the OVC in field goal percentage (40.8) and three-point percentage (32.2.), respectively. Murray is one of the better rebounding teams in the conference, averaging over 40 rebounds per contest and ranking third in the OVC in rebounding margin (+3.5). Where the Racers struggle is protecting the ball, as they rank second-to-last in turnover margin and do not force many turnovers either.
Murray State is led by two newcomers and also possess one of the OVC's most dominant players in Evelyn Adebayo. Adebayo leads the OVC in both scoring (18.5 points per game) and rebounding (11.8 rebounds per game) while shooting an impressive 48 percent from the field. The Racers also roster one of the OVC's top freshman in Macey Turley, who puts in 13.4 points per game and is third in the OVC in assists per game with 4.4 per game.
How to Follow Along
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Brian Rives will be on the radio call for the Governors Sports Network via ESPN Clarksville. There will also be an additional radio broadcast on WAPX (91.9 FM). Live stats will be available online and @AustinPeayWBB will tweet live updates.
