CLARKSVILLE, Tenn – (ESPN CLARKSVILLE) With a second-quarter surge, Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team topped Eastern Illinois 69-59 to earn their first Ohio Valley Conference win, Saturday.

Austin Peay (8-5) continued to struggle from the floor in the opening moments of their second league matchup shooting 33.0 percent in the first five minutes of the period. Then Keisha Gregory, who missed the conference opener due to an injury, nailed her first three-point shot. Gregory, along with redshirt-junior Falon Baker, kept the Govs in the hunt after Eastern Illinois opened 4-4 from the floor.

Baker scored six points, including a three-point shot as time expired in the first quarter giving the Govs a four-point edge going into the second quarter.

Gregory led the defensive charge in the second period pulling down five rebounds, with two steals and a block. Brianah Ferby came alive offensively scoring seven points, as Michaela Campbell gave the Govs a lift off the bench with five points and two assists in the second quarter. The Govs 10 points in the paint and seven points off of turnovers gave them a 38-19 cushion heading into halftime.

The Panthers were searching for a way to get back in the game cutting into the Govs lead with a 13-5 run to open the third quarter. Ferby added to her total with six points in the third quarter in her half-dozen minutes on the court. Nevertheless, the Panthers continued to close the gap on the Governors who had a 10-point lead into the final period.

The Governors traded baskets with the Panthers through much of the fourth quarter with the Govs hovering around a 10-point lead. The Govs struggled from the floor in the final two periods shooting 29.6 percent, but were able to outlast Eastern Illinois for their first conference victory.

Ferby led the Govs with a career-high 19 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Baker and Brianne Alexander also scored in double digits with Baker racking up 12 points and nine rebounds while Alexander scored 11 points and eight rebounds.

Austin Peay will return to the court 7 p.m., Wednesday against UT Martin.