2016 OVC Women's Basketball Championship - First Round

3/3/2016 7:00:24 AM

#4 EASTERN KENTUCKY 82, #5 AUSTIN PEAY 68
NASHVILLE - The Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team outscored Austin Peay State University by 25 points in the second half to overcome a 14-point first half deficit on its way to an 82-68 win in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday at Municipal Auditorium.

EKU (17-11) cut into the lead with an 8-0 run to start the third period, hitting on five of its first six field goal attempts and 16 of its first 20. Junior Jalen O’Bannon sank a jumper inside the paint to start the Colonel run. O’Bannon came away with the steal on the other end of the floor to lead to an easy bucket in transition for EKU.

Senior Shameekia Murray came away with two steals on two of Austin Peay’s next three possessions, helping EKU trim the lead to five, 39-34.

After another score from O’Bannon, Michaela Hunter found senior Miranda Maples who drained a three-pointer to narrow the Austin Peay lead to two. On the following EKU possession, Murray found a cutting Hunter for the layup in the lane, tying it up at 41 with 5:50 left in the third.

The Lady Governors (10-20) responded with a 6-0 run after the teams traded three-pointers to regain a 50-44 lead.

Hunter answered with two consecutive scores, as O’Bannon pulled down a critical defensive rebound that helped EKU to another score as time wound down in the third.

The teams entered the final period tied at 52 before the Colonel defense stood tough, holding the Lady Governors scoreless for the first 5:19 of the final stanza.

Meanwhile, the EKU offense continued to click. Junior Alexus Cooper knocked down a long ball, extending the Colonel lead to 57-52. After scores from Murray and Hunter, freshman Abby Wright hit from the corner to give EKU a double-digit lead, 64-52.

Later in the period, a steal from Zee Willix led to a layup from Wright, giving EKU its largest lead of the game, 68-52.

From there, the Colonels never forfeited their double-digit lead.

The Colonels shot 21-of-22 from the free throw line in the win, marking a new program record in an OVC Tournament game.

Hunter, O’Bannon and Murray all finished in double-digit scoring for EKU. Hunter netted a team-high 21 points, as O’Bannon and Murray combined for 32 points.

Tiasha Gray paced Austin Peay, finishing with 26 points and eight rebounds.

#3 SIUE 80, #6 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 76
NASHVILLE -Lauren White grabbed an offensive rebound and hit the go-ahead layup with 5.5 seconds left in overtime as SIUE women's basketball grabbed an 80-76 victory over Southeast Missouri in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

SIUE, 18-12, advanced to the semifinals of the OVC Tournament for the second straight season and will play second-seeded Belmont Friday. Tip-off time is 2 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium.

Fans were treated to a game that featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes.

The Cougars came out slow against the Redhawks, which finished the season 15-15 overall. SIUE shot 29.6 percent from the field in the first half and was down by as many as nine points in the first period.

Senior CoCo Moore sparked the Cougars in the second half, scoring 15 of her career-high 23 points. Moore, named the OVC co-Defensive Player of the Year, finished as the game's leading scorer.

Shronda Butts, the OVC's Player of the Year, turned in her 18th 20-point performance of the season and led the team with five assists.

Donshel Beck added her seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

Gwen Adams was the fourth Cougar in double figures with 12 points.

Southeast Missouri also had four players in double figures led by 14 from Erin Bollman. Adrianna Murphy scored 13 and added a game-high eight assists. Connor King finished with 12 points. Deja Jones added 11 points.

The Cougars and the Redhawks traded leads four times in the final three minutes of regulation. Beck tied the game 68-68 by making the back end of a two-shot foul with 18 seconds left. Southeast Missouri missed the final shot of regulation on an eight-footer in the lane by Brianna Mitchell.

After SIUE survived regulation, Southeast Missouri gained the early overtime momentum with back-to-back three-pointers by Ashton Luttrell for a 74-71 lead. Butts countered with a three-pointer of her own from the top of the key to tie the game 74-74.

It was second chances that made the difference for the Cougars, scoring six points during the overtime period on extra offensive opportunities. That included the go-ahead bucket as Butts drove the lane and missed a contested layup. White was on the far side of the basket for the rebound and put it back in for the score and foul finishing off the three-point play. That gave SIUE a 79-76 lead before adding another free throw in the final second of the game.