Austin Peay vs. Miami
Friday, November 11th, 2016 | 1:00pm CT
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team raises the curtain on the 2016-17 season with a 1:00pm, Friday afternoon contest against Miami University in the Dunn Center.
Senior center Tearra Banks showcased her dominance in the paint, totaling 23 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes, while redshirt sophomore Falon Baker dropped 16 points courtesy of three three-pointers.
But the season officially gets underway, Friday, as the Govs begin their quest to return to the postseason. The game against the RedHawks will be the first of four consecutive contests at the Dunn Center, where APSU was 9-3 a season ago.
Admission is free for all fans 18 and under, along with all military on Veterans Day.
The Opponent: Miami University
The RedHawks finished the 2015-16 season at 9-21, and after nine-straight losses to end the slate, were eliminated by Akron in the first round of the MAC Tournament. Miami was forced to overcome the loss of its leading scorer Baleigh Reid (15.3 ppg), who continues to rehab an injury which shut her down in late January.
As a result, Leah Purvis stepped up to take on more of a scoring role, posting double-digit point totals in 12 of the team’s final 16 games. Despite having no seniors on its roster, Miami returns 10 letterwinners and four returning starters.
Freshman guard Lauren Dickerson has emerged as a scoring threat in the starting five, coming off an exhibition game against Ohio Dominican where she recorded 26 points, six boards, four assists and five steals. Miami won 64-61, the start of Cleve Wright’s fourth season as head coach.
Last Time Against the RedHawks
In Oxford last season, Miami defeated Austin Peay 75-60 in the first meeting between the two programs since 2008. Reid and Purvis combined for 39 points for the RedHawks, while Tiasha Gray (18 points), Madison Rich (13) and Banks (11) had double-digit scoring outputs.
The RedHawks are 3-0 in the all-time series, with Friday being the first game in Clarksville.
APSU Storylines
- Searching for more
After falling to Eastern Kentucky in the opening round of the OVC Tournament, David Midlick returns for his second head coaching season in Clarksville, looking to build on an eight-win conference season. - Defend the Dunn
In 2015-16, Austin Peay compiled a 9-3 record on its home court, with all but one win on the season occurring in the Dunn Center. Seven of those victories came in Ohio Valley Conference play, including three consecutive home wins to conclude the season. This year, the Govs have an increased home schedule with 15 games (four-straight to open). - Banks
The senior center posted a .598 field goal percentage in 2015-16, the highest mark in the OVC and fifth nationally. Banks returns as APSU’s leading scorer at 12 points per game, despite averaging just 15 minutes. She also grabbed 4.2 rebounds per contest a season ago. - Baker for three
Falon Baker returned from injury last season and lit it up front deep, hitting 48 threes with a .375 percentage. She’ll look to take another step forward to provide additional offense from the wing. - Newbies. Midlick has brought in five newcomers to join the Governors – two junior college transfers (Ant’Treasia Patton and Bri Williams) and three freshmen (Nieja Crawford, Arielle Gonzalez-Varner and Shelbe Piggie). Williams and Piggie, along with Rivers, are expected to compete for the starting point guard spot.
Follow the APSU Govs
Be sure to follow all the Austin Peay women’s basketball action at www.LetsGoPeay.com and the official Facebook page of Austin Peay Athletics. In addition, live play-by-play coverage can be found on Twitter (@AustinPeayWBB) and live stats will be available at www.PeayStats.com
Monday’s game can also be streamed for free at www.OVCDigitalNetwork.com
