MURRAY, KY. – (ESPN CLARKSVILLE) Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team fell to Murray State 91-65 in the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border, Thursday.
Austin Peay (13-11, 6-7 OVC) came out swinging against the Racers, making their first three attempts from beyond the arc, and jumping out to an early seven-point lead. The Governors shot 50.0 percent from the floor and 60.0 percent from beyond the arc in the first period, but Murray State fought back into the game, taking a four-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
Falon Baker and Brianne Alexander controlled the Governors’ offense during the first half with Baker scoring 12 points and Alexander adding eight points and two rebounds. Despite the strong performance from veteran players, Austin Peay could not stop the Racers offense, which shot 62.1 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
In the second half, Arielle Gonzalez-Varner posted eight points as the Govs made several runs to get back into the game, but could not slow down the Murray State offense, falling to the Racers 91-65.
Baker led the Govs with 14 points and two steals, while Gonzalez-Varner posted 11 points and a team high six rebounds in 24 minutes on the floor. Alexander also scored in double digits with 10 points and five rebounds.
“We tried to go zone and they hit threes, we tried a bunch of different things to guard a really great player who ends up having 40 tonight. I give them the credit, they exploited any weakness we had defensively and they were hot from the floor,” said APSU Head Coach David Midlick.
The Governors will wrap up their four-game road swing 1 p.m. Saturday, at Eastern Illinois.