CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University women's basketball team hosts Fisk for just the second time in program history in a 11 a.m., Thursday game on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.
Austin Peay will host a "Kids Day" where kids ages 12-and-under receive free admissions and their parents get in for $5. Toy donations will be taken for Toys for Tots of Clarksville.
Austin Peay enters Thursday's game after a 93-85 loss to Murray State, Dec.9. Abby Cater scored a career-high and team-high 27 points in the loss. This was the first time a Gov has scored over 25 points since Yamia Johnson's 25-point performance against Cumberland, Nov. 7, 2022, and the highest by a Gov since Johnson's 29 points at Furman, Mar. 19, 2022, in the Women's Basketball Invitational.
Fisk is coming off a 67-44 win at Talladega on Dec. 11. Maya Buckhanon scored a team-high 24 points while also grabbing 16 rebounds. The Bulldogs are 3-1 in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference play.
The only game that has been played between the Governors and the Bulldogs was Dec. 6, 1980, when Austin Peay beat Fisk, 69-40, in the Winfield Dunn Center.
Broadcast Information
Radio: WAPX 91.9 FM (Carter Mansfield)
All Austin Peay women's basketball games are aired on WAPX 91.9 FM. Pregame begins 15 minutes before tip and can be heard online at LetsGoPeay.com
TV: ESPN+ (Alex Gould, PxP, Ethan Schmidt, Analyst)
From The Jump
- Head Coach Brittany Young needs just seven victories for the most wins by an APSU head coach over their first three seasons.
- Returning for the Govs is Shamarre Hale, who was the 2023 ASUN Sixth Player of the Year and received Second Team All-ASUN and ASUN All-Tournament honors. She was also a unanimous Preseason All-ASUN Team selection.
- Hale is ranked second in the ASUN with 7.0 rebounds per game. She is also ranked sixth with her 75.7 free-throw percentage.
- Also returning is Anala Nelson, who was an ASUN All-Freshman honoree, Tiya Douglas, Briah Hampton, and Gabby Zapata Smalls.
- Nelson has started in 36 consecutive games and started every game she has played in college. She also was the first player in program history to receive ASUN All-Freshman Team honors and the first to be named to a conference all-freshman team since 2003 when the Govs were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
- The 2023-24 roster included seven newcomers in Sandra Lin, Alyssa Hargrove, JaNiah Newell, Cur'Tiera Haywood, and Jeanine Brandsma. La'Nya Foster from Riverdale, Georgia, is the only freshman.
- Lin is ranked fourth in the ASUN in both assists/turnover ratio and assists per game with 1.52 and 4.6, respectively. She is also ranked fifth with 41 total assists.
The Fisk Scouting Report
Their Head Coach: Victoria Crawford enters her second season at the helm of Fisk's women's basketball team and is 24-14 as the Bulldogs head caoch.
2023-24 Record: 6-6 (3-1 GCAC)
2022-23 Record: 19-8 (11-3 GCAC)
Last Season Result: The Bulldog's 2022-23 campaign came to an end after a 70-58 loss to Philander Smith in the second round of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
Returners/Newcomers/Lost: 4/9/5
Notable Returner: Maya Buckhanon returns for her senior season at Fisk after earning NAIA All-American honors as well as GCAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year recognition, All-Defensive Player Team, Newcomer of the Year, and First Team All-Conference honors. Buckhanon averaged 24.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per game. In her 2022-23 season, she recorded 22 double-doubles in 26 games.
Notable Newcomer: Liz Gibbs comes to Fisk after graduating Austin Peay in May 2023. Gibbs played for the Governors 2021-2023 after previously playing for Gulf Coast State College and Southern Miss. During her time in Clarksville, Gibbs averaged 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Her highest scoring game as a Governor came against Fairleigh Dickinson in the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic when she scored 12 points, Nov. 22, 2022.
Series History: The Governors lead the all-time series, 1-0. The only game played between the Govs and the Bulldogs was December 28, 1980, when Austin Peay beat Fisk, 69-40, in Clarksville at the Winfield Dunn Center.
Up Next
The Governors hosts Bryan for a 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 16 game. They then host Austin Peay Women's Basketball's first ever Christmas Tournament as they play New Mexico State at 1 p.m. on Dec. 20 and Stephen F. Austin at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 21.
Follow The Govs On Social
For news and updates throughout the Governors' season, follow the women's basketball team on X and Instagram (@GovsWBB) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.
