UT Martin vs. Austin Peay Lady Govs
Saturday, March 2nd, 2013 | 5:15pm (CT)
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center (7,257)
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University closes out the 2012-13 season with Senior Night, 5:15pm, Saturday, against UT Martin.
The Lady Govs will say goodbye to seniors Meghan Bussabarger, Kaitlyn Hill and Leslie Martinez in a postgame ceremony on the Dunn Center floor.
Austin Peay Lady Govs
Austin Peay brings a 2-13 OVC record into the contest following 71-58 loss to Belmont, Wednesday. The Lady Govs’ defense has struggled in the team’s OVC slate, allowing OVC opponents to shoot better than 40 percent from the floor 10 times in 15 games (41.7 percent combined) and average 70.7 points per game; however, the Lady Govs held Belmont to 33.3 percent shooting Wednesday – the third time in four games the Lady Govs have held an opponent under 40 percent.
APSU has won the turnover battle in 14 games this season and owns a plus-2.4 turnover margin. In addition, the Lady Govs defense has recorded 10-plus steals 16 times this season, including a season-high 17 against Eastern Illinois, February 18th. Only three APSU players have played in every contest. Six players are averaging five or more points per game, with two averaging double figures (Meghan Bussabarger and Leslie Martinez at 13.2 and 10.3 points per game, respectively).
UT Martin Skyhawks
The defending Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champions, UT Martin will finish second in the newly-formed OVC West Division behind Eastern Illinois. The high-flying Skyhawk offense leads the OVC in scoring (72.4), free throw percentage (75.4) and made three-point field goals per game (9.2).
UT Martin can be beaten on the boards, specifically offensively, where they have a defensive rebounding percentage of just 63.4. The Skyhawks four-game winning streak stands as the longest active streak in the OVC. Juniors Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome make the Skyhawk offense go.
Both players are averaging more than 20 points per contest – Butler a league-high 22.0, Newsome 21.8 – and are the only players in the OVC scoring more than 20 points a night. The pair averages 60.5 percent of UT Martin’s offensive output. Newsome’s scoring average has jumped to a conference-leading 24.2 points per game in OVC play.
An Austin Peay Win Would
Snap a three-game losing streak to the Skyhawks… be its first home conference win this season… make it 5-8 at home in 2012-13… improve it to 3-13 in OVC play… make it 1-0 in March… improve Daniels’ record to 80-136 overall and 53-72 in OVC play… make the Lady Govs 433-609 overall since 1976-77.
An Austin Peay Loss Would
Extend its losing streak against UT Martin to four games… make it 2-14 in OVC play… make it 4-9 in the Dunn Center this season… drop Daniels’ record to 79-137 overall and 52-73 in OVC play… make the Lady Govs 432-610 overall since 1976-77.
Media Center
Radio: Governors Sports Network (David Loos, play-by-play)
Live Stats: www.LetsGoPeay.com
Live Audio: www.LetsGoPeay.com
ipTV: www.OVCDigitalNetwork.com
Head Coaches
Austin Peay – Carrie Daniels (Austin Peay, 1996) is 79-136 (.367) in her seventh season as a head coach at Austin Peay.
UT Martin – Kevin McMillan (Rhodes, 1989) is 70-53 (.569) in his fourth season at the school and as a head coach.
Series
Austin Peay leads 40-28 (18-12 in Clarksville)
Streak: UT Martin, three wins
Daniels vs. UT Martin: 7-6
