Austin Peay Women's Basketball Ends Regular Season with Narrow Win at Lipscomb

The Governors rallied late to defeat the Bisons 48-43 in the Atlantic Sun Conference finale.

Feb. 28, 2026 at 4:20am

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The Austin Peay State University women's basketball team closed out the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season with a 48-43 victory over Lipscomb on Friday at Allen Arena in Nashville. The Governors overcame a back-and-forth first half to pull away late, led by a strong shooting performance from Jade Rucker who hit five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 18 points.

Why it matters

The win gives the Governors momentum heading into the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament, where they will look to make a deep run after finishing the regular season 16-12 overall and 8-10 in league play. Lipscomb, meanwhile, ends its season at 10-19 and 7-11 in the ASUN.

The details

Austin Peay and Lipscomb traded the lead several times in the first half, with the Governors taking a 24-21 advantage into the break after a late 3-pointer by Rucker. APSU then used an 8-2 run early in the third quarter to build a 32-25 lead, which they would not relinquish. The Bisons made a late push to cut the deficit to 46-41 with 11 seconds left, but the Governors held on for the 48-43 win.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 28, 2026.
  • Austin Peay ended the regular season with the victory.

The players

Jade Rucker

A standout guard for the Austin Peay Governors, Rucker led all scorers with 18 points, including five 3-pointers.

Lameria Thomas

The Governors' leading rebounder, Thomas pulled down 12 boards in the win.

Jim'Miyah Branton

Branton stuffed the stat sheet with four steals and four assists for Austin Peay.

Hope Counts

The Lipscomb Bisons' leading scorer, Counts hit a late 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 46-41 in the final seconds.

Taylor Bowen

Bowen scored 11 points for Lipscomb in the losing effort.

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What’s next

The Governors will now turn their attention to the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament, where they will look to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Austin Peay's ability to knock down 3-pointers and force turnovers proved to be the difference in this tight conference matchup, as the Governors closed out the regular season on a high note and positioned themselves well for postseason play.