APSU Women's Basketball Faces Eastern Kentucky in ASUN Quarterfinals

Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky meet in a key conference tournament matchup

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The Austin Peay State University (APSU) women's basketball team will face off against Eastern Kentucky University in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament on Thursday, March 5th. APSU secured its spot in the quarterfinals with a 63-58 win over Lipscomb in the opening round, while Eastern Kentucky enters the tournament as the #1 seed after a dominant 100-43 victory over Bellarmine.

Why it matters

This matchup features two of the top teams in the ASUN conference, with Eastern Kentucky being the #1 seed and APSU looking to pull off an upset. The winner will advance to the semifinals, putting them one step closer to the conference championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The details

APSU (17-12, 8-10 ASUN) is led by Jim'Miyah Branton, who had 18 points in the win over Lipscomb, and Anovia Sheals, who recorded a double-double. Eastern Kentucky (24-7, 15-3 ASUN) is paced by Joseana Vaz's 14.2 points per game and Liz Freihofer's 6.6 rebounds per game. The Colonels have been dominant this season, leading the ASUN in several statistical categories.

  • The quarterfinal matchup will take place on Thursday, March 5th, 2026 at 11:00am.
  • APSU secured its spot in the quarterfinals with a 63-58 win over Lipscomb on Tuesday, March 3rd.

The players

Jim'Miyah Branton

A key player for APSU, Branton led the team with 18 points in the opening round win over Lipscomb.

Anovia Sheals

Sheals recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in APSU's victory over Lipscomb.

Joseana Vaz

The leading scorer for Eastern Kentucky, averaging 14.2 points per game this season.

Liz Freihofer

Freihofer leads the ASUN in minutes played and is second in the conference in three-pointers made.

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What they’re saying

“We must be ready to face a tough Eastern Kentucky team, but we're confident in our abilities and are excited for the challenge.”

— Jim'Miyah Branton, APSU Guard (Instagram)

“This is the moment we've been working towards all season. We're focused on taking care of business and advancing to the semifinals.”

— Joseana Vaz, Eastern Kentucky Forward (Twitter)

What’s next

The winner of the APSU-Eastern Kentucky quarterfinal matchup will advance to the ASUN semifinals on Saturday, March 7th.

The takeaway

This quarterfinal showdown features two of the top teams in the ASUN conference, setting the stage for an exciting tournament battle with a spot in the semifinals on the line.