Austin Peay (7-3 | 5-1 OVC) at Southeast Missouri (6-3 | 4-1 OVC)
Saturday, January 16th, 2021 | 1:00pm CT
Cape Girardeau, MO | Show Me Center
Clarksville, TN – After dropping their first Ohio Valley Conference contest of the season last time out, Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s basketball will get right back in action when they play the final game of a five-game road swing on Saturday, January 16th, 2021 against Southeast Missouri at 1:00pm at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
![Austin Peay State University women's basketball travels to Southeast Missouri, Saturday. (APSU Sports Information) Austin Peay State University women's basketball travels to Southeast Missouri, Saturday. (APSU Sports Information)](https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2020-21-APSU-Womens-Basketball-26-480x270.jpg)
The APSU Govs started conference play on a five-game winning streak, which ended last time out against UT Martin.
With just one day off, the Governors will be able to get right back on the court when they square off against the 2019-20 OVC Tournament Champion Southeast Missouri Redhawks.
About the Southeast Missouri Redhawks
After a third-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season in 2019-20; Southeast Missouri went on to win the OVC Tournament Championship, beating No. 1 seeded UT Martin, 67-47, in the title game.
This season Southeast Missouri was picked to finish third in both the OVC Coaches and SID Preseason Poll and the OVC Media Poll, they also received two first-place votes in each poll. Sixth-year head coach Rehka Patterson is coming off a season where she was named OVC Coach of the Year, and returns eight letter winners and two starters from a team that posted a 25-7 record overall and a 14-4 mark in the OVC.
A two-time First-Team All-OVC selection and a 2020-21 Preseason All-OVC selection, Tesia Thompson leads the Redhawks and ranks second in the conference in scoring (18.2 ppg). The 5-6 guard from Memphis also ranks sixth in the OVC in rebounding (8.2 rpg), field-goal percentage (40.9%), and steals (1.7 spg).
The 2019-20 OVC Tournament MVP, Thompson scored a season-high 30 points against Eastern Michigan, December 6th, before scoring 28 points last time out against Murray State, January 14th. Thompson does a good amount of her damage from the charity stripe, as the senior guard from Memphis hit 11 free throws against Eastern Michigan and went 8-8 from the free-throw line against Murray State, she ranks second in the OVC in free throws attempted (55) and made (41).
Southeast Missouri ranks second in the OVC in blocked shots (6.7 bpg), led by the OVC’s top shot blocker, LaTrese Saine. Saine leads the conference in blocked shots (3.8 bpg), and blocked a Southeast Missouri single-game record 9 shots last time out against Murray State.
APSU Series History Against Southeast Missouri
This is the 64th meeting in a series that dates back to 1989; Austin Peay leads the all-time series, 34-29.
In the last meeting between Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri, the Governors fell to the Redhawks, 81-43, at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on January 16th, 2020.
Arielle Gonzalez-Varner led the Governors with a team-high 10 points and seven rebounds, while going 4-6 from the charity stripe. Gonzalez-Varner also led the Govs with a team-high four assists in the contests.
Tahanee Bennell chipped in 10 points and knocked down a three-pointer, she was the Governors second-leading scorer against the Redhawks. Maggie Knowles connected on a pair of three-pointers and Ella Sawyer hit one triple en route to five points in the game.
Carrie Shephard and Tesia Thompson led the way for Southeast Missouri, scoring 16 points apiece in the contest. Shephard knocked down four three-pointers, dished out four assists, and picked up four steals; while Thompson dished out a team-high five assists, pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, and recorded three steals.
Taelour Pruitt and Jessie Harshberger were the final two Redhawks in double-figures, as they each scored 10 points in the contest.
APSU Notably
Despite falling to 5-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play, Austin Peay State University is off to its best six-game OVC starts since the 2002-03 season, when Susie Gardener led the Govs to a perfect 16-0 mark in conference play.
At 7-3 through the first ten games of the season, the Governors matched the 2017-18 team for the second-best ten-game start under head coach David Midlick — the 2019-20 team went 8-2 through their first ten games of the season.
For the fourth week this season, the Govs received votes in the CollegeInsider.com Women’s Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
Nationally the Governors rank 14th in three-pointers attempted (286), 19th in three-pointers per game (9.1), and 20th in three-pointers made (91) — they lead the OVC in all three statistics as well.
Austin Peay State University is one of two teams in the OVC that rank in the top four in scoring offense (69.4 ppg), scoring defense (63 ppg), and scoring margin (+6.4).
Brandi Ferby leads the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.86) and ranks 11th in the league in assists per game (2.9)
Brandi and Brianah Ferby are tied for the OVC lead in steals (24), the twin-sister duo is also tied for fourth in the conference in steals per game (2.4).
Maggie Knowles ranks second in the OVC in three-pointers made (25) and she would lead the OVC and rank 7th nationally in three-point field goals made per game (3.57) if she had played in 75 percent of Austin Peay’s games this season.
APSU Govs in the time of COVID-19
For the 2020-21 season, Austin Peay State University athletics will allow approximately 35 percent capacity in the Dunn Center for home basketball events.
Seats will be assigned to create a buffer between groups to ensure social distancing is maintained. Student seating will be located in sections AA-BB for both men’s and women’s games.
Masks or facial coverings are required to enter the Dunn Center. They must remain in place at all times unless eating or drinking.
APSU Govs Online
Check back at LetsGoPeay.com and on Austin Peay’s Official Athletics Facebook page often for up-to-date news about all Governor athletics, as well as the Governor women’s basketball Twitter page (@AustinPeayWBB). Live stats will be available during the game at PeayStats.com, and all home games and Ohio Valley Conference games can be viewed on the ESPN+ app.
Next Up for APSU Women’s Basketball
After the Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team takes on Southeast Missouri, they will finally return home for five-straight contests at the Winfield Dunn Center, starting with a 4:30pm, January 21st matchup with Tennessee Tech.