CLARKSVILLE – Returning to the Dunn Center after a four-game road trip, Austin Peay State University women's basketball forced Tennessee State to turn the ball over 30 times; while the Governors knocked down 11 three-pointers, rolling to an 18-point, 76-58 victory and their first Ohio Valley Conference win at home this season.

Austin Peay (11-7, 2-5) came out scorching hot. A pair of Arielle Gonzalez-Varner layups, coupled with three-pointers from Ella Sawyer and Brandi Ferby, staked the Governors to a 10-1 lead over Tennessee State (2-15, 0-7) before three minutes had ticked off the clock.

The Governors didn't cool off for the final seven minutes of the first quarter, as Shay-Lee Kirby came off the bench and promptly scored eight-straight points. The freshman from Vienna, West Virginia, buried a pair of three-pointers as the Govs put up a 24-spot in the first ten minutes of action, but only led by eight points.

It was in the second quarter that the Governors were finally able to find separation from Tennessee State.  A Maggie Knowles triple sparked a 12-0 run that spanned the first 5:15 of the quarter. When Tennessee State finally got on the scoreboard in the second quarter, they were able to cut the Governors lead to 17. But the Govs had an answer for the Tennessee State bucket, as Kirby drilled her third three of the day to give Austin Peay its first 20-point lead of the contest.

In the first half, the Govs shot 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from three-point range, en route to a 19-point, 47-28 halftime advantage.

In the third quarter, it was the Governors defense that got the job done, forcing 10 turnovers in the frame. Austin Peay held the Lady Tigers to just 11 points in the third, as the Govs extended their lead to 24 by the end of the quarter.

On the first possession of the fourth quarter, Kasey Kidwell drilled her second three-pointer of the day to give the Govs their biggest lead of the night – 27 points. But Tennessee State responded, going on their biggest run of the day, 12-0, to cut the Austin Peay lead to 15.

But the Lady Tigers could never get closer than 13, as the Governors closed out their biggest OVC win of the season, led by 15 points from Gonzalez-Varner. Kirby chipped in another 14 points, as 12-of-13 Governors to take the floor tonight found their way into the score column.  

The Difference

Turnovers, and points scored off of them. Austin Peay forced Tennessee State to turn the ball over a season-high 30 times. The Governors capitalized on the turnovers they forced, scoring 35 points off of them. The Lady Tigers could only muster 10 points off of Austin Peay turnovers.

Notably

• Austin Peay won its fourth straight game over Tennessee State, the Govs now lead the all-time series 35-27.
• The Governors knocked down double-digit three-pointers (11) in back-to-back games for the second time this season (18 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan and 11 vs. Christian Brothers).
• The Govs forced 30 Tennessee State turnovers, marking the second time this season they have forced a team to turn the ball over 30-plus times (33 vs. Evansville).
• It was the seventh time this season Austin Peay has made double-digit three-point field-goals in a contest.
• The Govs scored 35 points off of turnovers, that is their second highest total this season.
• Austin Peay knocked down 19 free-throws as a team, their second best total this season (21 vs. Mississippi Valley State).
• Arielle Gonzalez-Varner scored in double-figures for the 11^th time this season and the 32^nd time in her career.
• Freshman Shay-Lee Kirby scored in double-figures (14) and made multiple three-pointers (4) for the first time in OVC play.
• Kirby's four three-pointers is the most she has hit in a single game since she made four against Evansville, Nov. 21.
• Maggie Knowles knocked down two three-pointers for the Govs, she has hit multiple triples in three-straight games and has made at least one in every game she has played this season.

From the Twitterverse

"It's raining outside and it's about to be raining in the Dunn" @MyahLeFlore5 https://t.co/fii9jbeszp

— Daniel Disney (@CoachDanDisney) January 24, 2020

Quotably, Coach Midlick

On tonight's win… "We have got to win the games at home. I think we have played pretty well; we have been in [OVC] games in the fourth period, five out of six of them, but we have not had a great attention span. We have got to be tougher by doing the little things, running the offense, sprinting back on defense, and not fouling; and I thought we did a lot of that in the first half tonight. I thought we had some slippage in the second, but we came out with a lot of good energy for the game."

On the defense… "We had active feet and active hands when we were supposed to. We rotated pretty well out of it and did not give them [Tennessee State] a lot easy in the first half."

Moving forward… "I want the team to be confident. I don't think we are any different as a team when we lose a few or win a few. We have just got to stay on an even keel and keep improving. We are excited about this win, against a team I really respect in Tennessee State, and we have got to be ready on Saturday."

Up Next

Austin Peay will welcome in-state rival Belmont to the Dunn Center for a 1:30 p.m., Saturday, contest. The Bruins are the defending OVC Champs, and dispatched Murray State, 86-56, Thursday night in Murray, Kentucky.