Women's Basketball | February 09, 2022

CLARKSVILLE – With seven games left in the regular season and a spot in the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Championship already secured, the Austin Peay State University women's basketball team will look to push its winning streak to three games when it hosts Southeast Missouri for a 5 p.m., Thursday tilt in the Winfield Dunn Center.

At 8-3 in OVC play, Austin Peay has won back-to-back games and has won six of its last seven contests. The Governors currently have possession of third place in the OVC standings and are just a half-game behind second-place Tennessee Tech and a game-and-half behind league-leading Belmont.

Southeast Missouri is 1-11 in conference play and currently sits in ninth place in the OVC. The Redhawks are three-and-a-half games behind eighth-place UT Martin, who holds the final postseason spot in the OVC. Southeast Missouri is 0-9 on the road this season while the Governors have won five-straight home games and are 9-1 in the Dunn Center this season.

Thursday's game is presented by Altra Credit Union and is Military Appreciation Night in the Dunn Center. Austin Peay dog tags and military-themed t-shirts will be given away while supplies last at tomorrow's basketball doubleheader.

A military band will also be in attendance for the doubleheader against Southeast Missouri and distinguished military graduates from local high school JROTC programs will be honored at halftime of the men's contest.

Thursday's game against Southeast Missouri will be streamed on ESPN+.

Scouting the Redhawks

Tabbed to finish sixth in the OVC Preseason Poll, Southeast Missouri is 5-18 overall and 1-11 in conference play this season. Seventh-year head coach Rekha Patterson's team currently sits in ninth place in the OVC standings and is 3.5 games behind eighth-place UT Martin, who owns the final spot in the 2022 OVC Tournament.

Averaging 11.4 points per game, Deanay Watson leads the Redhawks and is tied for 17th in the OVC in scoring this season. Watson is also averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, which ranks seventh in the conference, and is shooting 53.7 percent from the floor, which ranks sixth in the league.

Taelour Pruitt is the Redhawks' second-leading scorer and ranks 22nd in the league this season, averaging 9.9 points per game. Pruitt also ranks sixth in the OVC in assists (3.3 apg), sixth in steals (2.1 spg), and seventh in three-pointers made per game (1.6).

Freshman Kennedi Watkins is averaging 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 30th and 11th, respectively, in the OVC. With 13 blocked shots this season, Watkins also ranks ninth in the conference in blocks (0.7 bpg).

Southeast Missouri ranks eighth in the OVC in scoring offense (62.2 ppg) and scoring defense (71.7 ppg), which gives the Redhawks the second-worst scoring margin (-9.6) in the league.

The Redhawks average 36.0 rebounds per game, which is tied with SIUE for the second-best mark in the OVC, and give up 38.5 rebounds per game, which is the second-most in the OVC. Southeast Missouri ranks seventh in the conference in rebounding margin (-2.6) this season. Southeast Missouri is also one of four OVC teams with 200-plus steals this season and is averaging 9.0 steals per game, which ranks fourth in the league.

Series History and Lasting Meeting

The 67th meeting in a series that dates back to 1989, Austin Peay leads the all-time series, 35-31, and snapped a four-game losing streak to Southeast Missouri with a win in the last meeting. The Governors are 18-14 all-time against the Redhawks in the Winfield Dunn Center.

On the road for the first time in Ohio Valley Conference play, first-year head coach Brittany Young picked up her first OVC win when Austin Peay beat Southeast Missouri, 72-62, on Jan. 1, 2022, at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Four Governors scored in double-figures and Shay-Lee Kirby led the way with a season-high 16 points. Kirby was a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range and grabbed six rebounds in the contest. Lyric Cole, Liz Gibbs, and Yamia Johnson each scored 12 points, with Cole also grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.

Ella Sawyer also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds against the Redhawks, with Nina De Leon Negron dishing out a team-best seven assists.

Senior Deanay Watson scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed six rebounds for Southeast Missouri. Halle Smith chipped in nine points and grabbed a team-best nine rebounds for the Redhawks. Roshala Scott also added 12 points and hit a trio of three-pointers in the contest.

Notably…

• Austin Peay is one of five teams -- Belmont, Tennessee Tech, Murray State, and Eastern Illinois -- that has already locked up a spot in the 2022 OVC Tournament.
• With its win at Morehead State, the Governors secured their third-straight winning season and their fifth-consecutive season without a losing record.
• Austin Peay is 18-14 all-time against the Redhawks in Clarksville and is looking for its first win against Southeast Missouri in the Dunn Center since a 56-54 victory on Feb. 21, 2019.
• Through 20 games, Austin Peay is shooting 46.6 percent from the floor -- which ranks eighth in the NCAA and second in the OVC. The Govs have not shot over 45 percent from the floor in a season since the 2002-03 team set the single-season program record by shooting 47.4 percent.
• Austin Peay ranks third in the OVC in scoring defense (60.3 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.394), and three-point percentage defense (.293) -- the Govs are the only team in the league that ranks in the top three in all three statistics.
• Austin Peay's defense held ten-straight opponents under 70 points to start the season and has only given up 70-or-more points twice. The Governors have held three opponents under 50 points and eight opponents under 60 points this season.
• The Govs are shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range, which ranks 19th in the NCAA and leads the OVC, and are averaging 6.0 made three-pointers per game, which ranks fourth in the OVC.
• Reigning OVC Player of the Week Karle Pace is shooting 46.5 percent from three-point range, which ranks fifth in the NCAA and leads the OVC.
• Yamia Johnson and Pace are averaging 16.1 and 15.7 points per game, respectively, and rank second and third in the OVC in scoring. They are the only teammates in the top five in the league in scoring.

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.

The City Forum Family 4 Pack is now on sale! For just $22, receive four tickets to both a men's and women's basketball game along with four attraction passes at The City Forum by using the promo code "FAM4" at checkout online or by contacting the Austin Peay Ticket Office.

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 hosts a 1:30 p.m., Saturday contest against Tennessee State in the Dunn Center before hitting the road for four of its last five games. The Govs continue a stretch where they will play five games in ten days when they travel to UT Martin for a 6 p.m., Monday contest that was originally scheduled for Jan. 20. Then the Governors make the trip to Murray State for a 5 p.m., Feb. 10 game at the CFSB Center.