CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Seeking to build on the momentum of its Ohio Valley Conference-opening victory, Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team hosts Jacksonville State in a 5:15 p.m., Thursday contest at the Dunn Center.

The Govs opened their OVC schedule with a 94-66 rout of Eastern Kentucky, Saturday. Austin Peay had little trouble at the offensive end, shooting a season-best 53.3 percent for its best point total against a Division I opponent since the 2004 season. In addition, 10 different APSU players scored in the contest.

Senior guard Tiasha Gray was the focus of the Colonels defense in the first half, scoring six points but handing out eight assists. She bounced back in the second half to finish with 21 points and 10 assists for her eighth career double-double. Sophomore guard Madison Rich was a big part of APSU’s first-half offense, scoring 15 points en route to an 18-point night.

Jacksonville State opened OVC play with a pair of road games last week, falling to league-leading SIUE before a bounce-back victory against Eastern Illinois, Saturday. The Gamecocks feature one of the nation’s top defenses, limiting opponents to 56.6 points per game – 51st among Division I teams and leading the OVC. The JSU defense is bolstered by its 24th-ranked three-point field goal defense, which has held opponents to 25.8 percent shooting beyond the arc.

Thursday’s contest will be the 23rd meeting between Jacksonville State and Austin Peay, the Govs holding a 14-8 advantage in the series. The Gamecocks have won the last two meetings in Clarksville while Austin Peay has won the last four meetings in Jacksonville. Overall, APSU has won six of the last eight meetings in what has been a highly competitive matchup in that span, the average margin of victory just 5.1 points.

THE MORE YOU KNOW

BANK ON BANKS: Junior center Tearra Banks is in rarified air at the season’s halfway point, entering Thursday’s game ranked fifth among all Division I players in field goal percentage (63.2). Only one player in APSU history has finished a season shooting better than 60 percent – Gerlonda Hardin, who accomplished the feat all four years she played at Austin Peay and finished her career shooting 61.8 percent from the floor.

GRAY MILESTONE WATCH CONTINUES: Senior guard Tiasha Gray became only the fifth APSU women’s basketball player to reach the 1,500-point plateau with her 27-point performance at East Tennessee, Dec. 21. She enters Thursday’s game against Jacksonville State with the possibility of moving up on both APSU’s career points and career assists lists:

OVC Career Steals | Currently 7th (264) | Next: 288 by Danielle Carson (YSU, 1982-86)
APSU Career Steals | Currently 1st (264) | Previous Record: 243 by Tracie Mason (1987-91)
APSU Career Points | Currently 5th (1,543) | Next: 1,550 by Whitney Hanley (2008-12)
APSU Career Assists | Currently 4th (428) | Next: 435 by Paige Smith (1999-03)

GOVS LEDGER: Midlick inherited an Austin Peay women’s basketball team largely unchanged from its 2014-15 edition. Four starters and 11 letterwinners return from a team that posted the program’s best record since 2010-11. Senior guard Tiasha Gray highlights the returning group after earning Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors last season. Also returning are junior Tearra Banks, sophomore Brianne Alexander, senior Jennifer Nwokocha and junior Beth Rates – composing five of the team’s top six in both scoring and rebounding.

ABOUT THE GAMECOCKS: Jacksonville State opened OVC play with the league’s “Illinois Swing,” dropping its opener at league-leading SIUE by a narrow 62-57 score line, Thursday, before downing Eastern Illinois, 60-52, Saturday. Junior guard Briana Benson averaged 12.5 points in those two opening games. Freshman forward Chloe Long made 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) of her shots during the opening weekend and is averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Gretchen Morrison was named the OVC Player of the Week, Dec. 14, after hitting an OVC record 10 three-pointers in a win against Tuskegee, Dec. 13.

AN AUSTIN PEAY WIN WOULD: Give it back-to-back wins for the second time this season… Make it 2-0 to start OVC play for a second consecutive year… Be its second-straight win against Jacksonville State… Make it 4-2 at the Dunn Center this season… Make Midlick 4-11 overall and 2-0 in OVC play in his first season at Austin Peay and 48-27 in his third season as a head coach overall… Make the Govs 455-661 since 1976-77 and 231-330 in OVC action.