LOUISVILLE, Ky. ?For more than 30 minutes, Saturday, Austin Peay State University's basketball team put a scare into the nation's 10th-ranked team.

In fact, the Governors led by as many as five second-half points against host Louisville with 13 minutes left in the game. However, the Cardinals went on a 17-2 second-half run and then pulled completely away late as Austin Peay fell to Louisville, 94-75, at Freedom Hall.

The loss dropped Austin Peay to 5-3 overall while snapping both a four-game winning streak along with a four-game road win streak. Big East member Louisville, meanwhile, improves to 6-1.

Austin Peay trailed by six points early in the second half before the Govs went on a 15-4 run, including seven points during the stretch by Wes Channels to give the Govs to 54-49 lead with 13:15 remaining.

After a Louisville timeout, consecutive three pointers by Andre McGee and Preston Knowles brought Louisville back to the lead before the Govs led one last time, 56-55, on a Drake Reed layup. However, re Knowles knocked down a second straight three pointer to give the Cardinals the lead for good at 58-55?Louisville connected on 7-of-11 from three point range in the final half.

The Cardinals would go onto to score the next eight points to go up by 10. APSU would not get the deficit lower than six the game's remainder. In fact, the Cardinals blew the game open after Austin Peay went into its fullcourt defense, allowing Louisville some less contested shots during the games final seven minutes.

The Governors more than hung with the Cardinals in the first half, overcoming an early seven-point deficit to lead 32-28 after a Channels' three pointer. APSU trailed 41-39 at halftime as Reed scored 13 of his 18 points in the half. Channels added eight points as did freshman reserve forward Anthony Campbell, who knocked down a pair of key first-half three pointers.

The Govs shot 55.2 percent (16 of 29) in the first half. It was that performance that provided the Govs the early second-half impetus.

Channels ended up leading the Govs with a game-high 23 points, five assists and two steals. In addition to Reed's 18 points, Campbell finished with a season-high 14 points, including four three pointers, while point guard Caleb Brown had 10 points.

Louisville had a trio of double-figure scorers?all finishing with 20 or more points as freshman center Samardo Samuels had 21 points and 12 rebounds while Knowles had 21 and Terrence Williams 20 points and eight assists.

Louisville, after trailing the rebound wars 17-15 at halftime, finished with a 37-27 rebound advantage.

-AP-