CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay women’s basketball team entered last week with a 14-10 overall record and a 6-8 mark in conference play. In the previous week, the Govs finally secured their first home conference win of the season, and the hope was that it would give the team some positive momentum.
Let’s dive into the recaps and preview the week ahead.
Austin Peay at Central Arkansas: 67-63 loss
The team’s first game of last week was a road test at Central Arkansas. Central Arkansas entered the game against the Govs still technically at the top seed in the conference. However, the Govs have been great on the road this season, so a win seemed possible.
This matchup was the first and only of the regular season between these two teams. On paper, it looked like a toss-up, as the Sugar Bears have been great at home while the Govs have been great on the road.
The Sugar Bears came out hot and shot over 47% from the field and over 42% from three in the first quarter. The Govs had good looks but couldn’t convert, and ended the quarter in a 19-11 hole.
| SPORTS REPORT: Sign up for the new weekly Clarksville sports newsletter
The second quarter was much more defensive for both teams. The Govs shot over 62% from the field, but they only attempted eight shots. The Sugar Bears cooled down slightly, but still won the quarter 13-11 to go to halftime with a 32-22 lead.
Whatever adjustments the Govs made at halftime worked, though. The Govs won the third quarter after shooting 55.5% from the field and playing stiff defense. Heading into the final, the Govs were down 45-37. Unfortunately, the Govs’ strong fourth quarter didn’t end up being enough to close the gap, and the Govs ended up falling 67-63 in a heartbreaker.
Austin Peay vs. Bellarmine: 82-41 win
After the tough loss at Central Arkansas, the Govs welcomed in the Bellarmine Knights for the Senior Day game. It was a meaningful game for the Govs, as five players were being honored, and it also provided another opportunity to secure a home conference victory.
Austin Peay had five players participate in Senior Day festivities: JaNiah Newell, Mya Williams, Jeanine Brandsma, Maeva Fotsa and Ines Gnahore. The hope was that the Govs would pick up another big home win in honor of their seniors, and that’s exactly what happened.
The Govs led wire-to-wire in this matchup and took a 39-18 lead to the break. There was no let-up in the second half either, and the Govs went on to earn a dominant 82-41 victory, their second conference win at home.
All five seniors played at least 10 minutes in this one, and Gnahore and Williams both scored 20-plus points.
1 on road, 1 at home to end regular season
After going 1-1 again, the Govs are now sitting at 15-11 overall and 7-9 in conference play. There are just two regular season games remaining, so the Govs can still finish at .500 in conference if they win out.
The team’s final home game is Wednesday night against Eastern Kentucky. After taking on the Colonels, the team will make the short trip to Nashville to end the regular season against Lipscomb.
The Govs already have one loss to each of these teams this season, so it would be nice to get some payback and head to the conference tournament on a high note.
| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Clarksville Now app