Troy University Athletics
Trojans Face Austin Peay
12/10/2009 3:00:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. - The Troy University women's basketball faces a tough task on Saturday afternoon when they play host to Austin Peay State University at Trojan Arena.
The Lady Govs (3-6), the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions and NCAA Tournament participant from last season, comes into the contest winning two of their last three games. They fell to Sun Belt foe UALR, 82-54 on Tuesday, bringing their modest two-game winning streak to a halt. Prior to winning their first two OVC games, Austin Peay had lost four consecutive games to start the season 1-5 overall.
They are led by a pair of underclassmen who averaging double figures this season in Ashley Herring and Nicole Jamen. The duo is averaging over 25 points per game for the Lady Govs, with Herring leading the way at 14.1 points per game. Meanwhile, Jamen is averaging 11.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game through the first eight games of the season for Austin Peay.
"We have to get ready to play a tough team in Austin Peay," Troy head coach Michael Murphy said. "They are the defending Ohio Valley Conference champion whom we beat last year at their place. They are going to come in with a chip on the shoulder and be looking for some revenge. We just have to prepare the best we can with it being another week of finals."
Meanwhile, the Trojans come into the contest winning four of their last five games, including an 84-54 victory over Belhaven College last Saturday.
The Trojans are led by a pair of players in double figures, but the balance of scoring on this year's team has been the key to success. The Trojans have six players averaging six or more points this season, with three of those coming off the bench at some point this season. In the Trojans past contest, a pair of players coming off the bench combined to score 31 points in the victory - Sarah McAppion 19 and Tenia Manuel 12.
Meanwhile, junior Donette McNair leads Troy (4-2), averaging a double-double so far this season with 14.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. She is also one of the leading rebounders in the Sun Belt Conference and is currently 10th in the nation in rebounding.
Senior Alyce Shearing is the leading 3-point shooter in the Sun Belt Conference and is averaging 12.3 points per game this season. She is shooting 51.7 (15-of-29) percent from beyond the arc so far this season and is averaging over two 3-point field goals this season; including hitting five in one game all ready in 2009.
This will be the fifth meeting between the two schools with the series tied at 2-2, but the Trojans have won the last two meetings. Troy won last year's game in Tennessee, defeating Austin Peay 65-61 in the early portion of the schedule and they have won the only meeting between the two schools at Trojan Arena.
Saturday's game will be the final tune-up for the Trojans as they begin conference play next weekend against the University of New Orleans in a televised game from Trojan Arena.
However, this weekend's game tips off at 2 pm at Trojan Arena, and can be heard on WTBF-94.7 FM with Buddy Johnson providing the play-by-play action for the Trojans.
