CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay women’s basketball team fell to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros on Thursday night in the first round of the WNIT.
The loss means the Govs are eliminated from the tournament and their 2025-26 season is now finished. The Vaqueros will advance to take on Illinois State in the second round of the tournament this weekend.
It’s a disappointing end, but the Govs battled hard until the final whistle. The Vaqueros got off to a hot start, scoring the game’s first four points and quickly getting out to a 12-4 lead. Austin Peay was never able to tie the game or lead, but they kept it within striking distance for much of the game.
At the half, the Govs were in a 38-29 hole. A strong third quarter from the Vaqueros was too much to overcome, even though the Govs did score more points in the fourth. At the final whistle, the Vaqueros walked away with a 71-59 road victory.
What stood out: Jim’Miyah Branton ties career-high
The Govs struggled on offense for most of the night on Thursday. As a team, the Govs shot 33.3% from the field and 25% from three. Freshman Jim’Miyah Branton shouldered most of the load on offense and ended up tying her career high with 20 points.
Branton shot 9-of-15 on field goals and made one of her three three-pointers. The young guard also dished out four assists and grabbed six rebounds. It was nice to see the freshman end her debut campaign in a positive way and hopefully build momentum for next season.
Head coach Brittany Young reflects on 2025-26 season
Brittany Young just finished her fifth season as the head coach of Austin Peay’s women’s basketball team. The coach picked up her fourth season of 17-plus wins and led the team to its first-ever WNIT appearance on Thursday night.
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After the tough loss, Young expressed that she was “grateful” for her team and reflected on the season.
“Just very proud of our group,” said Young. “We had a year filled with a lot of ups and downs, a lot of adversity due to some injuries and other things, but this group is resilient.”
Notably, the Govs lost standout guard Veronaye Charlton for the season before conference play even began. At the time of her injury, Charlton was averaging 10.5 points per game, and her loss was clearly felt on offense.
Even without Charlton, the team managed to collect 19 wins and make it all the way to the ASUN Championship Game before falling just short in overtime.
“The goal now is to move forward,” said Young. “But we’re grateful. We didn’t have to be here today, we didn’t have to be here hosting, this means a lot to us and the program.”
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