MOREHEAD. Ky. – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team closes its three-game Ohio Valley Conference road trip with a 5 p.m. (CT), Wednesday contest against Morehead State at Johnson Arena.
The Govs search for an elusive road win was extended following its 88-82 OVC loss to Belmont, Saturday, in Nashville. Despite facing a double-digit deficit in the first half for the fourth straight outing, Austin Peay battled back to take a slim fourth-quarter lead for the fourth-straight game. However, the Govs defense could not get a crucial stop down the stretch, the Bruins posting a 10-5 run in the final two minutes to hand APSU its second-straight loss.
Senior guard Tiasha Gray saw her career-high 38-point outing go for naught in the loss. She added 11 assists for her second double-double this season. Junior center Tearra Banks added 20 points in a 17-minute outing – her third 20-point effort this season.
Austin Peay will need to have its track shoes at the ready for Wednesday’s contest. Morehead State runs the nation’s fastest offense, averaging 90 possessions per game according to WBBState.com. For comparison, APSU is ranked 179th nationally at 72.8 possessions per game.
The Eagles high pace of play has helped them lead all OVC teams in scoring at 82.8 points per game, more than eight points per game more than second-place Belmont. However, Morehead State also ranks 12th among OVC teams in scoring defense, with opponents averaging 84.9 points per game, 10 points more than 11th-place Eastern Illinois’s defense.
Austin Peay and Morehead State will meet for the 77th time since 1976-77. The Eagles own a 39-37 edge in the series, including last season’s win in Clarksville. That win was the latest in a string that has seen the road team win in each of the last three meetings.