EVANSVILLE, Ind. – (ESPN CLARKSVILLE) Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team fell to SIU Edwardsville 76-43 in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, Thursday.
The Govs came off a dominant performance against Murray State on senior night, but could not continue the offensive performance early against the Cougars. The Govs struggled from the field, but Arielle Gonzalez-Varner and Falon Baker turned some momentum back in favor of Austin Peay midway through the first quarter.
The Governors could not maintain the offensive presence through the second quarter, fighting against a hot-handed Cougar squad. After the halftime break, Austin Peay continued to push through the third quarter, getting a 24-point lift from the bench in the second half.
The Govs defensive pressure slowed down the Cougars in the final period, as Austin Peay outscored SIU Edwarsville 17-11, with freshmen Myah LeFlore and Kelen Kenol scoring five and four points respectively. The Govs forced SIU Edwardsville into six turnovers in the final quarter, but the offensive push came much too late for the Govs, as they fell in the opening round.
Brianne Alexander led the Govs with seven points and four rebounds, with Arielle Gonzalez-Varner posting six points and three rebounds, shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Bri Williams once again led the Governors in the assist column, racking up four assists to go along with her two points and a pair of rebounds.
The bench effort was the story for the Govs, as Myah LeFlore scored seven points, with Nieja Crawford and Shelbe Piggie each adding a half dozen points. Crawford also picked up two steals.
The Govs conclude the 2017-18 season with the most regular season wins since 2003-04, posting the first winning season since 2008-09.