JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – (ESPN Clarksville) Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team could not overcome a cold day from the field, dropping an Ohio Valley Conference contest against Jacksonville State, 67-56, Saturday, at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Despite one of their best free-throw shooting performances of the season and three three-pointers from Maggie Knowles, the Governors (10-11, 5-5 OVC) could not get past a stingy and physical Jacksonville State team.
The Govs got off to a fantastic start, with Brandi Ferby nailing a straightaway three-pointer on the Govs’ first shot of the game, but things were did not go that smoothly for either team for the first half.
Arielle Gonzalez-Varner picked up two quick fouls and was on the bench for the rest of the half, as the Gamecock’s leading rebounder Rayven Pearson collected eight rebounds, most coming without Gonzalez-Varner on the floor. Both teams struggled from the field, as JSU shot only 21 percent in the first quarter, but both teams had scoreless stretches of over three minutes in the first period. A late spark from Michaela Campbell allowed the Govs to tie the game at 13 at the end of the first.
The second quarter continued with the same defensive theme, before Keisha Gregory converted an and-one and nailed the first Govs’ three-pointer since Ferby’s opening shot. However, the Gamecocks (10-11, 4-6 OVC) responded, embarking on a 7-0 run before Maggie Knowles nailed a triple to reclaim the advantage for the Govs, but JSU answered once again, ending the quarter on a 6-0 run as Pearson dropped a bucket in as time expired to give the Govs a four-point deficit to climb out of halftime.
Each team was shooting under 30 percent from the field in the first half, but were perfect from the free-throw line. Ferby converted an and-one and Pearson picked up her third foul early into the half, but that did not matter to the Gamecocks. JSU went on an 11-4 run after Pearson went to the bench, opening up a 10-point advantage. The Gamecocks hit their first five shots of the quarter and looked to be pulling away, but Knowles hit two more massive three-pointers, the latter cutting the lead back to six.
The Govs needed to sustain the momentum from Knowles’s big shots in the third, but Jayla Walker hit a big three to put JSU back up 11. The dagger came after the Govs pressed the Gamecocks, forcing a loose ball that both teams had chances to control, but a JSU player picked it up and threw it down the court to Pearson, who finished despite being fouled.
The bucket and ensuing free throw made it a 13-point Gamecock lead, but the Govs did not give up. Ferby hit another three that cut it back to nine points with three minutes to go, but deficit proved to be too much as JSU sealed the game with defense and free-throw shooting. Despite shooting in the low 60’s for free-throw percentage, the Gamecocks went 18-of-21 from the line and prevailed by a scoreline of 67-56.
The Govs return to the Dunn Center next week to take on SIUE and Eastern Illinois.