CLARKSVILLE – After posting three-straight Ohio Valley Conference wins, Austin Peay State University women's basketball will look to make it four-in-a-row and match their season-long winning streak when they play a 1 p.m., Saturday, contest against Eastern Illinois at Lantz Arena.

After a slow start to conference play, the Governors have won four of their last five games and own the OVC's second-longest winning streak. The Govs now sit in seventh place in the league, and are just a game under .500 in conference play. If Austin Peay can pick up their fourth-straight OVC win, Saturday against Eastern Illinois, they can post the Govs first four-game winning streak in OVC play since the 2013-14 season.

After the Governors take on Eastern Illinois, Saturday, they will return to the Dunn Center for the final home game of the season, when they host a 5:30 p.m., Thursday, contest against Morehead State.

Scouting the Cougars

After finishing tenth in the Ohio Valley Conference a season ago, the Panthers of Eastern Illinois were tabbed to finish in the same place in both the OVC Coaches and SID Preseason Poll and the OVC Media Preseason Poll. The Panthers have started OVC play by going 10-5, which puts them in a tie for fourth place in the league.

The Eastern Illinois offense is led by the trio of Karle Pace, Abby Wahl, and Lariah Washington – who are the only three teammates in the OVC that all rank in the top-15 in scoring. Pace sits at sixth in the league, averaging 15.7 points per game. Wahl ranks 13th in the OVC, averaging 11.7 points per game, while Washington leads all OVC freshmen and ranks 13th overall in the league, averaging 11.4 points per game.

Pace does much more than score for the Panthers, she ranks third in the OVC in steals, averaging 2.2 per game, and ninth in assists, averaging 3.2 per game. The junior guard from Clarksville, Tennessee, leads Eastern Illinois from behind the arc this season; ranking second in the OVC in three-point percentage (43.7%) and third in three-pointers made per game (2.3).

Eastern Illinois has been efficient from three-point range this season, shooting 33.5 percent from deep, which is the second best mark in the OVC this season. Despite the Panthers efficient scoring from deep, they have only attempted 559 triples, which is the sixth most in the league this season. Eastern Illinois' 187 made three-pointers is the fourth best total in the OVC this year.

On the defensive end, Eastern Illinois averages an OVC-best 10.9 steals per game. The Panthers have recorded 284 steals this season, led by Pace who has posted 56 steals on the season. Kira Arthofer has also recorded 49 steals this season, which is tied for fifth best in the OVC.

Series History

This is the 51st meeting in a series that dates back to 1995; the Governors lead the all-time series 29-21, but have lost the last two meetings. The Govs have not lost three-straight games to the Panthers since a three-game losing streak that lasted from Jan. 21, 2012 to Feb. 24, 2011.

Saturday's contest will be played at Lantz Arena in Charleston, Illinois, where Austin Peay has won three-straight games and is 14-10 all-time.

Austin Peay welcomed EIU to the Dunn Center for a Feb. 1 contest, which saw the Governors fall to the Panthers, 76-47.

The Governors were led by Shay-Lee Kirby, who came off the bench and connected on a trio of  three-pointers in route to a team-high 11 points. Tahanee Bennell also came off the bench for Austin Peay and added another 10 points, while connecting on a pair of three-pointers.

Eastern Illinois had four players score in double-figures, led by Karle Pace, who connected five time from three-point range on her way to a game-high 19 points. Morgan Litwiller hit four triples and scored 18 points, Abby Wahl chipped in 16 points, and Lariah Washington added 10 more points for the Panthers.

What To Watch For

• After stacking together three-straight Ohio Valley Conference wins for the first time this season, Austin Peay will look to match its season-long four game winning streak (Dec. 14 to Dec. 29).
• The Govs have not won four-straight OVC games since a four-game winning streak that lasted from Jan. 13 to Jan. 24, 2014.
• The Governors are looking to end a two-game losing streak to Eastern Illinois, and win their fourth-straight game at Lantz Arena,
• Last time out, six Governors scored in double figures: Maggie Knowles (12), D'Shara Booker (12), Ella Sawyer (11), Arielle Gonzalez-Varner (10), Brandi Ferby (10), Shay-Lee Kirby (10). It was the first time six Govs had been in double-figures since Jan. 2, 2019.
• Nationally, Austin Peay ranks 11th in three-point field goals made (228), 13th in three-point field goals made per game (8.8), and seventh in three-point field goals attempted (721).
• The Govs defense is averaging 21.1 turnovers forced per game, which ranks 16th in the country and leads the Ohio Valley Conference.
• The Governors have forced an OVC-leading 549 turnovers this season, and are the only team in the league that has forced more than 500 turnovers this season. The Govs lead the league with a plus 4.85 turnover margin -- EIU is the next closest in the league with a plus 3.92 turnover margin.
• The Govs are 1-of-7 teams in the country that has attempted 720-plus triples this season, and are 1-of-12 teams that have made 225 or more threes this season.
• With 42 made three-pointers this season, Shay-Lee Kirby is two made triples away from passing her teammate, Maggie Knowles, for the third most three-pointers made in a freshman season in program history.
• The Govs are 13 made three-pointers away from matching the team single-season three-point record and they are 22 attempts from matching the single-season three-pointers attempted record.
• Maggie Knowles is shooting 45.6 percent from three-point range this season, which leads the OVC and ranks 8th in the NCAA. She currently is the Austin Peay career three-point percentage leader, shooting 42.6 percent in her career.

Tickets, Please

Governors Courtside Seating returns for the 2019-20 season. Fans can contact the APSU Athletics Ticket Office for courtside seating availability and pricing. The VIPeay Hoops Experience, available to Black Tie Monocle Society members and above, also returns for 2019-20 af-ter a successful debut last season. For more information on joining the Governors in the Dunn Center this winter, to secure season tickets or to become involved with the Monocle Society, call 931-221-PEAY. You can also purchase tickets online at www.LetsGoPeay.com/buytickets; be sure to access the new 360-degree view of the Dunn Center when purchasing tickets.

Govs Online

Check back at LetsGoPeay.com and on Austin Peay's Official Athletics Facebook page often for up-to-date news about all Governor athletics, as well as the Governor women's basketball Twitter page (@AustinPeayWBB). Live stats will be available during the game at PeayStats.com, and all home games and Ohio Valley Conference games can be viewed on the ESPN+ app. ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM/540 AM) will carry the radio broadcast locally and online.