CLARKSVILLE – Looking for a 3-0 start to Ohio Valley Conference play for the first time since 2016, Austin Peay State University women's basketball will kick off a five-game road trip when it makes the short trip down I-24 for a 5 p.m., Jan. 4 contest against Tennessee State at the Gentry Center in Nashville.

This game against Tennessee State was originally scheduled for Dec. 30, but was postponed because of the OVC's COVID-19 protocols and contact tracing that resulted in Tennessee State not having the necessary number of student-athletes available for the contest.

After the Govs square off with the Lady Tigers, they will continue on a road trip that will take them to SIUE, Eastern Illinois, UT Martin and Southeast Missouri before returning home Jan. 21 against Tennessee Tech.

Scouting the Lady Tigers

After an 11th-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference regular season in 2019-20; the OVC's coaches and SIDs picked Tennessee State to finish 12th in the 2020-21 Preseason Poll, and the league's media tabbed the Lady Tigers to finish 11th in their preseason poll.

First-year head coach Ty Evans spent the past 13 years as an assistant coach in the Southeastern Conference, with a stop at Alabama and most recently as the Associate Head Coach at Auburn (2015-20). In his first season at Tennessee State, Evans will return three starters and seven letterwinners from a squad that posted a 4-24 mark overall and went 2-16 in conference play last season.

Senior guard Taylor Roberts is Tennessee State's top returning scorer; she averaged 11.9 points per game last season and is averaging 17.7 points per game this season, while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor.

Senior forward Jaden Wrightsell is the Lady Tiger's top returning rebounder, she averaged 7.9 rebounds per game last season and is averaging 8.8 boards per game so far this season. Wrightsell is also averaging 10 points per game through three games this season.

After averaging 4.8 points per game in 2019-20, senior guard Andreanna Wrister has been a surprise for the Lady Tigers this season, averaging 15 points per contest. Wrister also leads Tennessee State with 11 assists this season.

Series History

This is the 65th meeting in a series that dates back to 1980; Austin Peay leads the all-time series, 36-28.

Playing in front of one of the loudest crowds Austin Peay would face last season, 3,100 students from the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools were in attendance to watch the Governors rout Tennessee State, 87-55, on Feb. 6, 2020, at the Gentry Center in Nashville.

In just 13 minutes of action, D'Shara Booker led the Governors with a career-high 15 points and a career-high 9 rebounds, while shooting 64 percent from the floor. Kasey Kidwell went 5-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-2 from three-point range en route to a perfect shooting day from the floor and 13 points.

Ella Sawyer and Kelen Kenol were the final two Governors in double-figures, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively. Sawyer also added a team-high four assists, while Kenol chipped in seven rebounds in the contest.

Ashley Primas led the way for Tennessee State, scoring 10 points in the contest; Breannah McCullah also chipped in 9 points, 5 rebounds, and a pair of assists for the Lady Tigers.

Austin Peay outscored Tennessee State 48-18 in the paint and the Govs bench scored a season-high 50 points to knock off the Lady Tigers.

Notably…

• Originally scheduled for Dec. 30, the postponement and rescheduling of Austin Peay and Tennessee State's first meeting this season turned the Govs season-long four-game road trip into a five-game journey.
• The Governors have won five-straight games against Tennessee State -- by an average of 21.8 points per game -- and the five-game winning streak is tied for David Midlick's longest active winning streak against an OVC opponent.
• In last season's trip to the Gentry Center, Austin Peay beat Tennessee State, 87-55, marking the Governors biggest win on the road against the Lady Tigers in series history.
• A win over Tennessee State would give the Govs their first 3-0 start to OVC play since David Midlick's first season at the helm in 2016.
• The Governors are tied for the OVC lead with Belmont and rank 25th in the country, averaging 9 made three-point field goals per game.
• Austin Peay has forced exactly 26 turnovers in back-to-back games against Murray State and Eastern Kentucky.
• Brandi Ferby ranks 9th in the nation and leads the OVC with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.5 this season.
• Averaging 3.17 steals per game, Brianah Ferby ranks second in the OVC and 26th in the NCAA.
• Maggie Knowles and Brianah Ferby scored 22 and 20 points, respectively, last time out against EKU; they are the second Governors duo to post 20+ points in the same game this season.

Govs in the time of COVID

For the 2020-21 season, Austin Peay State University athletics will allow approximately 35 percent capacity in the Dunn Center for home basketball events. There will be no lower bowl seating for fans during the season. The lower level will be limited to players, coaches, and game-day support staff only. Seats will be assigned to create a buffer between groups to ensure social distancing is maintained. Student seating will be located in sections AA-BB for both men's and women's games. Masks or facial coverings are required to enter the Dunn Center. They must remain in place at all times unless eating or drinking.

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.