RICHMOND, Ky. – A lock-down defensive effort coupled with a career-high 21 points from D'Shara Booker were more than enough for Austin Peay State University women's basketball, as the Governors went on the road and picked up their sixth-straight win over Eastern Kentucky, 65-49, Monday, in McBrayer Arena.
The Austin Peay (12-8, 10-6) defense was down-right dominant at times against Eastern Kentucky (8-14, 7-11). The Govs held the Colonels scoreless for an 8:32 stretch that lasted from the 6:05 mark in the second quarter until the 7:33 in the third quarter. Then again in the fourth period the Governors held Eastern Kentucky scoreless for a stretch of 6:10.
The Governors capitalized during both of Eastern Kentucky's long-scoreless droughts, going on a pair of 10-0 runs when the Colonels were unable to do anything against the Austin Peay defense.
Early on it looked as though the Govs and Colonels would be locked in a high-scoring battle, as Austin Peay built a five-point advantage with 1:44 left in the first quarter only to see Eastern Kentucky battle back and tie the contest, 19-19, on a Bria Bass jumper at the buzzer.
After trading baskets for the first four minute of the second period, Eastern Kentucky took a 27-25 lead with 6:05 left before the break. At that point the Governors defense found another gear and held the Colonels scoreless for the rest of the first half; however, the Govs were only able to score a pair of buckets and lead Eastern Kentucky, 29-27, at the break.
After a Booker jumper got the second half going, the Govs ran the exact same play on back-to-back possessions, with Ella Sawyer throwing a pair of perfect passes on back-door cuts to Shay-Lee Kirby and Maggie Knowles for two layups that capped off a 10-0 run and gave Austin Peay a 35-27 lead.
Emma Hacker finally ended the Colonel's scoreless streak with a three-pointer on the next possession, but Sawyer had an answer and drilled a triple of her own on the ensuing trip down the floor to push the Governors advantage back to eight points. With 6:23 left in the third quarter, Brianah Ferby gave the Governors their first double-digit lead of the afternoon when she knocked down a pair of free throws to stretch the lead to 40-30.
After a Booker layup with 4:12 left in the third period took the Austin Peay lead back to 10 points, Eastern Kentucky went on a 5-0 run that trimmed the Governors lead to 42-37. But back-to-back jumpers from Bennell and a bucket from Booker with three second left in the frame equaled a 6-0 quarter-closing run that built an 11-point advantage for the Govs.
Eastern Kentucky was able to cut into the lead early in the fourth period, trimming the Governors lead to six points on a Bass jumper with 7:11 left in the contest. But that was the last time the Colonels would score for the next 6:10 and the Govs capitalized by going on a 10-0 run that started with Nina De Leon Negron grabbing a defensive rebound and going coast-to-coast before finishing with a Euro-step layup in traffic.
With 1:11 left in the contest, Booker knocked down the second of two free throws to give Austin Peay a 16-point advantage – its biggest lead of the day. Eastern Kentucky was able to get on the scoreboard one last time when Clara Rosini knocked down a jumper with 1:01 left to play, but a pair of Kasey Kidwell free throws with 38 seconds left sealed a 16-point victory as the Governors won their 10th OVC game of the season.
The Difference
Two long stretches of dominant Austin Peay defense that held Eastern Kentucky scoreless for a total of 14:42. During that time the Governors outscored the Colonels 20-0.
Notably
- Austin Peay picked up its sixth-straight win over Eastern Kentucky, improving to 37-47 in the all-time series.
- The Governors have won back-to-back games at McBrayer Arena in Richmond, Kentucky, for the first time since Feb. 2, 2003 and Jan. 15, 2004.
- Austin Peay picked up its 10th Ohio Valley Conference win of the season, matching the 2018-19 squad for the best single-single conference wins total of the David Midlick era.
- The Govs shot 40.7 percent from the floor and the Colonels shot 34 percent from the floor; Austin Peay is now 9-0 this season when they outshot their opponent.
- The Governors held their opponent under 55 points for the seventh time this season, they are undefeated in those contests.
- Austin Peay outscored Eastern Kentucky 34-18 in the paint, the Governors are 8-0 this season when they score more points in the paint than their opponent.
- The Govs knocked down 17 of 23 free throws while Eastern Kentucky was only able to get to the charity stripe a total of 15 times in the contest; Austin Peay is 4-1 when it makes more free throws than its opponent this season. .
- Austin Peay matched its season-high with 6 blocked shots against the Colonels.
- In what has been a strange college basketball season, the Governors improved to 3-0 in games played on Monday.
- D'Shara Booker led the Govs with a career-high 21 points and 9 boards, marking the third time this season she has led the team in points and rebounding in the same contest.
- Ella Sawyer matched her career-high with six assists for the second time this season; she has led the Governors in helpers in five of the 11 games she has played in this season.
- Brianah Ferby's career-long streak of six-straight games in doubles figures came to an end as she was only able to score 6 points against Eastern Kentucky.
- Brandi Ferby matched her season-high with 7 made free throws and scored in double figures for the first time since she posted 12 points against Murray State, Jan. 25.
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Up Next
Austin Peay's season-ending, three-game road trip rolls when the Governors square off with Tennessee Tech in a 5 p.m., Thursday showdown at the Hooper Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tennessee. The Govs will then wrap up the regular season when they take on Jacksonville State in a 1 p.m., Saturday tilt at Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville, Alabama.
