NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois women's basketball cut a 17-point first half deficit to one but was outscored 29-20 the rest of the way and lost to Austin Peay, 69-60, Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Ta'Kenya Nixon led all scorers with 22 points.
Maggie Kloak had 14. Both players represented EIU on the OVC All-Tournament Team.
All five APSU starters scored in double figures, led by 19 from Nicole Jamen. Ashley Herring was named the OVC Tournament MVP.
The Panthers (23-10) will represent the OVC in the Postseason WNIT later this month.
Eastern shot a season low 30 percent from the field and got out rebounded (47-40) for the first time since losing at Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 30.
But EIU head coach Brady Sallee was quick to defend his Panthers after losing for the third straight year in the title game and for the second time in a row in an upset to Austin Peay (15-17).
“We accomplished the hard one,” Sallee said. “We went 18 games and won the (regular season) championship. What this team has done, I'm really proud of them. Some morons out there may thing this is going to define our season but we played 33 games and won 23 of them. We tip our hats to Austin Peay.”
As was the case last year, EIU had blown out APSU the week before the teams met in the OVC Tournament. The Panthers jumped out to an early 15-0 lead in a 78-47 win Feb. 25 in Charleston.
“That was really embarrassing,” Herring said. “We weren't ready for that game. That showed we have to come out and play from the start.”
Saturday's game had a much different start.
Eastern missed 14 of its first 17 shots and trailed 28-11 when Austin Peay's Brooke Faulkner hit a 3-pointer 5:19 before halftime.
With Nixon getting to the foul line to make five of six free throws,
Kelsey Wyss getting a basket after a steal,
Sydney Mitchell making one free throw and
Ashley Thomas hitting a 3-pointer, the Panthers were able to pull within 30-22 by halftime.
“We just couldn't seem to get it going on our end of the floor and Austin Peay played tougher,” Sallee. "They seemed to win the 50-50 balls. That's how you win these games.”
The Panthers found their offense temporarily and when Nixon got an offensive rebound and hit a 15-footer, they trailed just 40-39 with 12:18 remaining.
But instead of overtaking the Lady Govs, Eastern went the next 4 ½ minutes without scoring and Austin Peay got 12 straight points for a 52-39 lead with 8:07 to play.
"Maybe we got worn out with the energy that it took to get it to that point," Sallee said. "It's tough when you dig yourself a hole like that, not only to dig your way out but to finish off what you're trying to do.
"This is the irony of college basketball. The best teams don't always win, the No. 1 seed doesn't always win. That's why everybody tunes in and watches these things. It's disappointing tonight, but we have to wake up and get going and be ready to play another game [in the WNIT]. That's what we'll do."
Story by Brian Nielsen, JG/T-C Sports Editor
