CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Austin Peay women’s basketball hosted the Eastern Kentucky Colonels during the opening round of the A-SUN conference tournament on Sunday.
The two teams met previously during the 2022-23 regular season, which ended with Austin Peay winning by a score of 82-69. When the two sides collided once again, the result stayed the same, but the Governors did so in a dominant fashion. They took care of business and ended the night with a 73-55 victory.
According to Austin Peay Athletics, their women’s basketball program had three players score in double figures during the game; Shamarre Hale scored 23 points, Anala Nelson scored 18 and Mariah Adams scored 13. Hale scored her 23 points coming off the bench with only 20 minutes of action.
Hale accounted for 23 out of her team’s 33 bench points too. In comparison, Eastern Kentucky finished the game with 7 total bench points. Austin Peay’s bench production may play a crucial role in their success moving forward this postseason.
The Governors next game is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8, as they travel to take on the 24th ranked team in the nation, Florida Gulf Coast.
A-SUN Semifinals
During their first matchup of the season, Florida Gulf Coast defeated Austin Peay by a score of 55-42.
The difference in the game was the Eagles production on offense and defense in the second and third quarters. Florida Gulf Coast outscored Austin Peay 29-16 during those two quarters of play.
When comparing the two A-SUN member schools throughout the 2022-23 season, numbers show that the Eagles have been one of the most efficient offenses in the Atlantic Sun conference, if not the most efficient. However, on the other side of the ball, it looks as though Austin Peay has the upper hand on their defensive rankings.
| Florida Gulf Coast | Austin Peay | |
|---|---|---|
| OFF Points per game | 78.7 | 60.4 |
| DEF points per game | 56.4 | 56.5 |
| Rebounds per game | 33.3 | 31.5 |
| Assists per game | 18.1 | 11.1 |
| Steals per game | 5.3 | 8.0 |
| Blocks per game | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| Field goal % | 48.2% | 43.5% |
| Opposing field goal % | 39.4% | 38.4% |
| 3-point % | 37.7% | 33.4% |
| Opposing 3-point % | 28.9% | 26.3% |
| OFF turnovers per game | 17.0 | 12.4 |
| DEF turnovers forced per game | 17.8 | 16.3 |
After already defeating the second highest-scoring offense in the conference on Sunday, Eastern Kentucky, we’ll see what the Govs’ and their defense have in store for the Eagles on Wednesday night.