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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Austin Peay capped an incredible run through the Ohio Valley Conference tournament with a thrilling double overtime win over Eastern Illinois. Emily Pollock scored nine of her career-high 13 points in the second overtime as Austin Peay -- picked to finish ninth in the OVC during the preseason -- survived a meltdown in the last minute of regulation to beat Eastern Illinois 69-65. "They kept fighting, that's what they do," said Austin Peay coach Carrie Daniels. Ashley Herring led the Lady Govs (17-15) with 21 points and tournament MVP April Thomas added 13 points and eight rebounds as Austin Peay won the conference title for the first time since 2004. The win completed an impressive tournament run for Austin Peay, which was the OVC's dominant team earlier this decade before beginning a rebuilding phase under Daniels. The fifth-seeded Lady Govs secured their spot in the NCAAs by beating fourth-seeded Morehead State, top-seeded Murray State and the second-seeded Panthers. Not bad for a team that saw its turnaround season spinning out of control after losing five straight last month. Yet the Lady Govs didn't panic. They ended the regular season with an overtime win over Southeast Missouri before getting hot in the tournament. "As the season went on, we started thinking 'if we keep pushing through, keep pushing through and keep playing we'll be OK,'" Thomas said. Rachel Galligan scored 24 points for Eastern Illinois (24-9), but the Panthers lost the OVC title game for the second straight year thanks to 25 turnovers and the inability of anyone besides Galligan to consistently knock down shots. Galligan, the school's all-time leading scorer, went 12-of-15 from the field while the rest of the team went just 14 of 43 from the floor. "We got down to the end and the needle was on E," said Eastern Illinois coach Brady Sallee. Maybe, but not until after a stirring rally that forced overtime. Austin Peay appeared to be in control after taking a four-point lead with 1:12 left in regulation. The Lady Govs then missed four straight free throws, giving Eastern Illinois enough room to get back in it. Lindsey Kluempers hit a 3-pointer and Galligan tied the game at 48 on a layup with 7.2 seconds to go. Then things started getting good. Eastern Illinois took a four-point lead of its own in the first overtime before Herring and Pollock, a 5-foot-5 freshman, went to work. Herring hit a pullup to get Austin Peay within 54-52 and Pollock tied it by stripping Eastern Illinois' Megan Edwards and racing in for a layup. Neither team could find a game-winner in the final minute of the first extra session. Pollock, however, made sure there was no need for a third. She hit a layup and then knocked down just her fifth 3-pointer of the season as Austin Peay opened the second overtime with a 12-2 run to put it away. "It was just adrenaline flowing through me," said Pollock, whose previous season-high was nine points in a loss to No. 11 North Carolina in December. "I think we all thought we could do it." The Panthers swept the season series from the Lady Govs, posting relatively easy double-digit wins during the regular season. Austin Peay wouldn't go down quite so easily with an NCAA tournament berth on the line. The Lady Govs know they'll face long odds when the NCAA women's tournament field is released next week. They're not concerned. One year after going 6-23, their 11-win turnaround is among the best in the nation. "Nobody thought we'd be here," Thomas said. "We had confidence. We knew it was going to be hard, but we fought."
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