LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In an Atlantic Sun Conference contest where emotions ran high, Austin Peay State held off multiple Bellarmine University women's basketball team comeback attempts in a 69-58 victory for the Governors on Saturday in Knights Hall.

Senior forward Skylar Treadwell posted a career-high 19 points for Bellarmine (11-6, 2-2 ASUN) while senior guard Ashlee Harris added 11 points against Austin Peay (8-7, 3-1), which won its third straight game.

Proficiency on both ends staked Austin Peay to a 36-25 halftime lead. The Governors shot 60.9 percent from the floor while holding Bellarmine to 30.8 percent in the first half. APSU's shooting prowess over the first two quarters included a 5-for-9 effort from long range. The Governors hit seven of their nine shots in the second period in building the double-digit lead.

Bellarmine sliced the deficit to six midway through the third quarter, but emotion and frustration with several heatedly-questioned calls made by the officiating crew boiled over helping Austin Peay hike its advantage to 14.

Bellarmine regrouped with a 9-0 run to race back within five before Austin Peay took a 53-45 lead into the fourth. Once there, the Knights battled to within six on several occasions, the last with 1:32 remaining, but BU missed a jumper with a chance to cut it to four, and the Governors secured the win from there.

Turnovers plagued both teams — their 47 combined were nearly even — and the frustration levels heightened as multiple travel and moving screen violations were deemed particularly suspect from the sidelines. The teams shot 28 free throws apiece, so the multitude of turnovers combined with the regular trips to the charity stripe translated to very little flow in the game.

Austin Peay shot 50 percent for the game and a smothering man-to-man defensive effort helped limit Bellarmine to 37.8 percent.

Bellarmine will begin a four-game ASUN road trip with a 7 p.m. (ET) contest Thursday at West Georgia.

For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BUKnights), Instagram (BUKnights) and Facebook (BUKnights).