CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky built a 16-point second half lead but had to comeback from a 4-point deficit to force overtime and beat Austin Peay, 68-66, today in Clarksville, Tenn. Senior Crystal Jones recorded a double-double with a game-high 24 points, including the game-winning basket with six seconds left in overtime, and 10 rebounds. EKU improved to 5-2 overall and evened its conference mark at 1-1. APSU dropped to 4-4 and 1-1 in OVC play.
Senior Ashley Cazee scored 20 points for the Lady Colonels. LaTanya Stokes finished with seven points and a team-best 12 rebounds. Eastern out-rebounded Austin Peay 51-40.
Alex Bivens made five of seven three-point attempts and led Austin Peay with 19 points. April Thomas also had a double-double for the Lady Govs with 10 points and 13 boards.
After APSU opened the second half with a bucket to draw within three points, 29-26, the Lady Colonels scored nine straight points as part of a 15-4 run that gave Eastern a 16-point advantage, 44-28, with 14:37 left in the game. Lindsey Waters and Cazee contributed four points each to the run.
Just as quickly as EKU built its lead, the Lady Govs erased it. After Cazee made back-to-back lay-ups to cap the run, Eastern went cold and Austin Peay heated up. The Lady Colonels missed on six of their next eight shots from the field and missed three of four free throw attempts. APSU knocked down five three-pointers during a 25-5 run that turned a 16-point EKU lead into a 4-point Lady Gov advantage.
Bivens made three treys and accounted for 11 of Austin Peay’s 25 points during the run. Ashley Herring’s three-pointer made it 53-49 with 6:50 left in regulation.
Cazee was fouled on a lay-up with 3:19 showing on the clock and converted the free-throw to tie the game at 56-56. Her two free throws at the 1:18 mark put the Lady Colonels in front 60-59. Herring converted the second of two free throw attempts with 30 seconds remaining to knot the score at 60-60. Cazee drove to the basket with six seconds on the clock but her attempt to win the game in regulation was blocked.
Austin Peay made seven of 10 second half three-point attempts to fuel the comeback.
The Lady Govs scored first in the overtime frame but Cazee answered with a three-pointer. After an old-fashioned three-point play by Ashlee McGee with 1:30 to play put APSU up by one, 65-64, a jumper by Jones pushed EKU back on top with 28 seconds to go.
Thomas made one of two free throw attempts with 21 seconds remaining to tie the game. Jones answered with a jumper with less than six seconds left that proved to be the winning shot. Herring drove to the basket but missed a lay-up as time expired.
Neither team shot well from the free throw line but Austin Peay’s 10-of-22 performance from the charity stripe made it difficult for the Lady Govs to win the game. EKU made 12-of-19 shots from the line.
The Lady Colonels will return to game action on December 19, when they host Tennessee-Martin at McBrayer Arena in Richmond, Ky. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
