JACKSONVILLE, FL (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay women’s basketball team suffered a heartbreaking overtime defeat to the Jacksonville Dolphins in the championship game of the ASUN Tournament on Monday.
It was a hard-fought, back-and-forth game that featured five ties and two lead changes. The Dolphins led for much of the game, but the Govs never let them get too far ahead. The Govs trailed by just one after the first quarter and then by six points at halftime.
The Dolphins came out hot in the third quarter and led by as many as 13 points. However, there was no quit from Austin Peay, as this game got wild near the end of regulation.
In the fourth quarter, the Govs came alive on offense. Mya Williams got things started with a three-pointer, and then Jim’Miyah Branton hit a jumper shortly after. Anovia Sheals then added eight points of her own in the quarter, and the game ended up going to overtime tied at 56.
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Near the end of overtime, with the Govs trailing by three, Janiah Newell put up a three-pointer at the buzzer that just missed. As a result, the Govs fell, and their season ended just shy of an NCAA Tournament berth.
What stood out: Mya Williams and Anovia Sheals, team resiliency
Mya Williams had some of her best games of the season over the final month. The senior had 12 points against Lipscomb, 12 points against Stetson, and 20 points in the championship game on Monday.
Williams’ 20 points were the most of any player on either team on Monday, and she set a new season-high with six made three-pointers. The guard also chipped in seven rebounds and made both of her free throws.
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Anovia Sheals, meanwhile, added 18 points of her own to go with four rebounds and two assists. Sheals has been arguably the Govs’ most consistent player all season, and she ended the year with another strong performance.
Another thing that stood out was the team’s resiliency. Nobody outside of Stacheville believed in this team, as the #8 seed, to make a deep run in the tournament. However, like they have all season, they played their best ball on the road and came one shot away from their first NCAA Tournament appearance in over 15 years.
Successful season despite disappointing ending
Last season, the Govs finished with a 13-18 overall record and a 7-11 mark in conference play. Last year’s squad also only made it to the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament before bowing out.
This year, head coach Brittany Young’s squad ended with a 19-13 overall record and an 8-10 conference record. The team picked up three wins in the conference tournament and forced the #2 seed to overtime in the championship game.
What’s even more impressive is that the Govs made it as far as they did without one of their best players. Veronaye Charlton was averaging 10.5 points when she suffered a season-ending injury in late December. It would have been easy for this team to pack it in and write this season off, but they battled until the very last second.
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