CLARKSVILLE – With another weekend of Ohio Valley Conference basketball in the Dunn Center on the horizon, Austin Peay State University women’s basketball is set for a 5:30 p.m., Thursday contest with SIU Edwardsville, in a matchup that pits the OVC’s best and worst three-point shooting teams against one another.

The Governors averaged 25 forced turnovers per game last weekend against Tennessee State and Belmont. This weekend the Govs are set to take on SIU Edwardsville, who averages 19.4 turnovers per game, which is the second-most in the OVC this season. On the defensive end, the Governors are leading the OVC, forcing 21.1 turnovers per game.

Thursday, Austin Peay athletics will welcome members of the Austin Peay Greek community to the Dunn Center for Greek Night. We’ll also give away free touchscreen-compatible gloves thanks to game sponsor Tennova Healthcare.

Scouting the Cougars

The Cougars of SIU Edwardsville come off a season that saw them finish in ninth place in the Ohio Valley Conference, missing the OVC Women’s Basketball Championship by just one spot. This year the Cougars were tabbed to finish ninth in the OVC Coaches and SID Preseason Poll, and they were picked to finish eighth in the OVC Media Preseason Poll. This season the Cougars are off to a 3-16 start overall, and a 1-7 start in OVC play.

Averaging just 56.8 points per game, SIUE sits at the bottom of the OVC in scoring offense. With the Cougars allowing 69.2 points per game, they own a scoring margin of minus 12.3, which ranks 11th in the OVC. In conference play, the Cougars have struggled to score even more and are averaging just 53.5 points per game.

SIUE ranks last in the OVC in field-goal percentage (34.9%), three-point percentage (22.7%), and free-throw percentage (61.5%). Having made 72 three-pointers this season, the Cougars have hit the fewest triples in the OVC this season. In conference play, SIUE has struggled even more from behind the arc, making 28 three-pointers and shooting 21.1 percent from deep.

SIUE ranks second in the OVC in offensive rebounding, averaging 15.5 offensive rebounds per game. Averaging 15.5 offensive boards per game, the only team that grabs more offensive rebounds per game than the Cougars is Southeast Missouri (16.6 orpg). Averaging 3.2 offensive rebounds per game, junior Allie Troeckler leads the Cougars on the offensive glass. Troeckler ranks second in the OVC in offensive rebounding, behind only Arielle Gonzalez-Varner (3.8 orpg).

Troeckler leads the SIUE on the offensive end, averaging 11.7 points per game, which ranks 11th in the conference. Troeckler also ranks fourth in the OVC in field goal percentage (47.8) and 10th in rebounding (7.2 rpg).

Series History

This is the 20th meeting in a series that dates back to 2008; the Govs trail in the all-time series 14-5 but won the last matchup.

Austin Peay welcomed SIU Edwardsville to the Dunn Center on Feb. 7, 2019, in a game that saw the Governors beat the Cougars, 77-65. Austin Peay shot 44.9 percent from the floor and 43.5 percent from three-point range, with four different Governors scoring in double-figures.

Arielle Gonzalez-Varner, Brandi Ferby, and Nieja Crawford all led the Govs in scoring, with 13 points apiece; Keisha Gregory added another 12 points. Gonzalez-Varner also led the Governors on the glass, pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. Brandi Ferby hit a pair of three-pointers and knocked down a game-high seven free throws. Crawford scored six of her 13 points at the free-throw line, while Gregory matched Brandi Ferby with a team-high two three-pointers in the contest.

What to Watch For

  • Nationally, Austin Peay ranks 14th in three-point field goals made per game (8.8), 16th in three-point field goals made (166), and 9th in three-point field goals attempted (527).
  • The Govs defense is averaging 21.1 turnovers forced per game, which ranks 19th in the country and leads the Ohio Valley Conference.
  • The Governors lead the OVC with a plus 4.05 turnover margin and are the only team in the conference that has forced 400 or more turnovers this season.
  • Ella Sawyer’s recent three-point production has moved her into 10th in the OVC in three-point percentage, shooting 37.5 percent from deep. In conference play, she ranks third in the OVC, shooting 45.5 percent from three-point range.
  • Since rejoining the starting lineup against UT Martin, Jan. 18, Brandi Ferby has led the Govs in assists for three-straight games, dishing out 3.6 assists per game over that stretch.
  • Maggie Knowles has made a three-pointer in every game she has appeared in this season and has hit multiple triples in 10-of-15 contests. Last time out against Belmont, Jan. 25, she buried four triples.
  • This game features the OVC’s two leading offensive rebounders, with the Govs Arielle Gonzalez-Varner (3.8 orpg) and the Cougars Allie Troeckler (3.2 orpg).
  • Austin Peay and SIUE rank at opposite ends of the OVC three-point rankings, with the Governors sitting atop the league in three-pointers made – the Govs have made 94 more threes than the Cougars this season.
  • The Governors are averaging 74.6 points and 11.3 made three-pointers in games that are played at the Winfield Dunn Center this season.
  • Austin Peay is looking to post back-to-back wins against SIU Edwardsville for the first time since the 2014 season.

Tickets, Please

Governors Courtside Seating returns for the 2019-20 season. Fans can contact the APSU Athletics Ticket Office for courtside seating availability and pricing. The VIPeay Hoops Experience, available to Black Tie Monocle Society members and above, also returns for 2019-20 after a successful debut last season. For more information on joining the Governors in the Dunn Center this winter, to secure season tickets or to become involved with the Monocle Society, call 931-221-PEAY. You can also purchase tickets online at www.LetsGoPeay.com/buytickets; be sure to access the new 360-degree view of the Dunn Center when purchasing tickets.

Govs Online

Check back at LetsGoPeay.com and on Austin Peay’s Official Athletics Facebook page often for up-to-date news about all Governor athletics, as well as the Governor women’s basketball Twitter page (@AustinPeayWBB). Live stats will be available during the game at PeayStats.com, and all home games and Ohio Valley Conference games can be viewed on the ESPN+ app. ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM/540 AM) will carry the radio broadcast locally and online.