CLARKSVILLE – Seven days after winnings its first Ohio Valley Conference contest, Austin Peay State University women's basketball team will look to stay unbeaten in 2022 when it returns home to host a 1:30 p.m., Saturday tilt with Morehead State in the Winfield Dunn Center.

Austin Peay has won five out of its last six contests and is 1-1 in OVC action after going on the road to beat Southeast Missouri, 72-62, last Saturday. The Governors are 8-4 overall and have a 4-1 record at home this season, with their only loss in the Dunn Center coming against UT Martin in the OVC opener.

Morehead State is off to an 0-3 start in OVC play after falling to Tennessee Tech, 78-48, on Thursday. The Eagles have lost ten-straight games entering Saturday's contest and are 0-7 on the road this season.

The Govs were supposed to play SIUE on Thursday, Jan. 6, but that game was postponed until Monday, Jan. 17 due to the implementation of COVID protocols within the SIUE program. The rescheduled contest with the Cougars will tip-off at 6 p.m. and have free admission.

Saturday's game is presented by Optimize U and will be broadcast on ESPN+. A digital roster card for Saturday's game against Morehead State can be found in the links section at the top of this page.

Scouting the Eagles

After a tenth-place finish and missing the OVC Tournament during the 2020-21 season, head coach Greg Todd left Morehead State after seven seasons and became the head coach at his alma mater, Eastern Kentucky.

Under first-year head coach Cayla Petree, the Eagles were tabbed to finish ninth in the 2021-22 OVC Preseason Poll and are off to a 1-12 start this season. Petree, who has spent most of her career as a head coach at the Division II and Junior College level, most recently spent a season as the head coach at Gulf Coast State, where she coached Austin Peay guard Liz Gibbs.

Morehead State's lone win came when it knocked off Midway, 72-53, on Nov. 21 at Johnson Arena in Morehead, Kentucky. In OVC play, the Eagles are 0-3 and fell to Tennessee Tech, 78-48, on Thursday at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Duke transfer Jada Claude leads Morehead State in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, ranking 14th and sixth in the OVC, respectively. The 6-0 sophomore is shooting 42 percent from the floor and had a career-day against USC Upstate, Dec. 18, posting a 21-point, 18-rebound double-double.

Southeast Missouri transfer Terri Smith is the Eagle's second-leading scorer, averaging 11.2 points per game with a team-high 21 made three-pointers this season. Smith's 1.6 three-pointers made per game ranks sixth in the OVC, she also leads the league in minutes played (36.7 mpg).

Morehead State has the lowest-scoring offense in the OVC, averaging just 49.4 points per game. The Eagles also give up the third-most points in the league, with opponents averaging 71.1 points per game, and have the worst scoring margin (-21.7) in the conference this season.

Series History and Lasting Meeting

Austin Peay and Morehead State have played 82 times in women's basketball and the all-time series is tied, 41-41. Austin Peay's 82 contests against Morehead State is the fourth-most games are has played against an OVC opponent.

Austin Peay punched its ticket to the 2020 OVC Tournament with a 70-65 win over Morehead State on Feb. 28, 2020, in the Winfield Dunn Center. Last season's matchup between the Governors and Eagles was postponed due to winter weather, meaning the last meeting was the Govs' Senior Day win in 2020.

Then freshman Ella Sawyer led the Governors with 21 points, knocking down a pair of three-pointers and grabbing three rebounds in the contest. Brandi Ferby added 12 points, four rebounds, and a team-high three assists, while current Austin Peay graduate assistant Nieja Crawford scored 10 points and pulled down five boards in her final game in the Dunn Center.

Jazzmyn Elston scored a game-high 21 points for Morehead State, while freshman Ariel Kirkwood posted a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. Ellie Jo Johnson and Breuna Jackson each chipped in 10 more points for the Eagles, with Johnson also grabbing seven rebounds.

Notably…

• Austin Peay has had an entire week to prepare for Morehead State after its Thursday game against SIUE was postponed until Jan. 17 due to the implementation of COVID protocols in the SIUE program.
• Austin Peay is set to play Morehead State for the first time since Feb. 28, 2020 -- 641 days ago -- after last season's meeting was postponed due to winter weather and never made up.
• First-year head coach Brittany Young picked up her first Ohio Valley Conference win at Southeast Missouri, she now looks for her first OVC win in the Dunn Center when the Govs host Morehead State.
• Austin Peay is looking to pick up its fourth-straight win against Morehead State, which would be the Governors longest winning streak in the series since they won five-straight games from 2003 to 2005.
• Through 12 games, Austin Peay is shooting an OVC-leading 46.3 percent from the floor as a team. The Govs have not shot over 45 percent from the floor in a season since the 2002-03 team set the program record by shooting 47.4 percent.
• Austin Peay also ranks second in the OVC in field-goal percentage defense, holding teams to just 38.8 percent shooting from the floor this season.
• The Governors rank second in the OVC in scoring defense (58.4 ppg) and scoring margin (+10.0). Austin Peay's defense held ten-straight opponents under 70 points to start the season and has only given up 70 points once in the Brittany Young Era.
• The Governors lead the OVC in three-point percentage (.341) and rank second in three-point percentage defense (.266). Austin Peay is averaging 6.3 made three-pointers per game, which ranks second in the league behind Belmont's 8.5 triples per game.
• Yamia Johnson scored the 1,000th point of her college career at Southeast Missouri, she ranks third in the OVC in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game.

Tickets, Please

Season and single-game tickets are on sale for the 2021-22 basketball season. Fans can purchase or renew their season tickets online at LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets or by calling the Austin Peay Ticket Office at 931-221-PEAY (7329). More information on season and single-game tickets can also be found online.

Govs Online

For up-to-date news and information on Austin Peay Athletics, check back at LetsGoPeay.com or follow along on Facebook. To keep up with the Governors women's basketball team, follow along on Twitter and Instagram (@GovsWBB). Live stats will be available during all home games and select road games at PeayStats.com. In addition, all Austin Peay home games, OVC games, and select road games will be broadcast on ESPN+ this season, visit the women's basketball schedule at LetsGoPeay.com for a complete broadcast schedule.

Up Next

Austin Peay will make the short trip to the Music City for a 5 p.m., Thursday game against league-leading Belmont at the Curb Event Center. The Govs then return to the Dunn Center to host a 1:30 p.m., Jan. 15 contest against Eastern Illinois and a rescheduled 6 p.m., Jan. 17 contest against SIUE.