CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech mixed things up Thursday
night, changing the starting lineup for the first time in 18 games
and sprinkling in a whole lot of minutes for five freshmen, and the
Golden Eagles almost found the right combination at Austin
Peay.
Almost.
The host Lady Govs escaped with an 83-81 double-overtime Ohio
Valley Conference victory in the Dunn Center.
Freshmen Tacarra Hayes came off the bench to lead the Golden
Eagles. She was the last player to score for Tech in both overtime
periods, the first time giving the Golden Eagles a one-point lead
with 1:08 remaining before APSU tied it with one free throw. Hayes
hit a jumper with 1:19 to go in the second overtime to get the
visitors within one point, and she took the final shot of the night
in a desperation attempt to reach a third overtime.
Hayes scored a career-best 20 points and had six rebounds and two
blocked shots. She was 10-for-11 at the free throw line.
Sophomore Jasmine White's buzzer beater layup sent the game to its
first overtime. White finished with 19 points and eight
rebounds.
Senior Blair Bowens added 14 points and five assists, while Stirrup
had 13 points. Freshman Kelleshia Cook, playing a career-high 29
minutes, led Tech with six assists and added five rebounds. Senior
Meagan Lyons chipped in with seven points and 10 rebounds.
Whitney Hanley led APSU with 19 point sand six rebounds, while
Ashley Herring added 18 points and five boards. April Thomas scored
16 points and grabbed five boards. Brooke Faulkner had nine points
and 10 rebounds, while point guard Emily Pollock contributed eight
points, seven assists and four steals.
Tech led 34-31 at halftime after the Golden Eagles overcame an
early seven-point APSU lead.
Tech's largest lead of the night was five points, when Lyons hit a
jumper to open the second half and make it a 36-31 Golden Eagle
lead.
The score was tied for its 10th time, 55-55, before Stirrup scored
nine consecutive points for the Golden Eagles to push Tech to a
58-55 lead with 6:16 remaining. The score was tied again at 62-62
before APSU went on top by four, 68-64, with one minute to
play.
White scored Tech's final five points of regulation including a
layup with 39 seconds left to make it a one point deficit, 68-67.
After Hanley made one free throw with 13 second to go, White
grabbed a missed 3-point try by Bowens and put it off the glass as
the buzzer sounded to send it to the first extra session.
APSU scored the first three points of the overtime before White
scored four in a row for a one-point lead, 73-72. The teams
exchanged baskets, with Hayes making it 75-74 before Pollock's free
throw with 16 seconds left tied it for a second overtime.
A big 3-pointer by Herring followed a Hayes layup, and put APSU on
top to stay, 80-77. The Lady Govs went up 82-78, but Tech continued
to battle back. First, Lyons made two free throws to cut it to
three, then Hayes dropped in a pair to make it 82-81 with 1:19 to
go.
Herring made one free throw for an 83-81 lead with 17 seconds to
go, and Tech couldn't get another tying basket.
The Golden Eagles will visit Tennessee State Saturday for a 5:30
p.m. contest against the Lady Tigers in the Gentry Center.
GOLDEN NUGGETS: It was the first overtime game this season for the
Golden Eagles...It was Tech's first double-overtime game in 11
seasons, since falling in three overtime periods at Eastern
Kentucky in the 1997-98 season...It was the first double-overtime
game for APSU in 12 years....It was the first career start for
Simone Rutledge, who was in the lineup in place of Vivian
Nwosu...Tech leads the all-time series with Austin Peay,
66-14...the win for APSU snapped a three-game win streak over the
Lady Govs by the Golden Eagles.