CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.?Wes Channels and Drake Reed combined for 51 points to lead Austin Peay State University to an 87-71 Ohio Valley Conference win against Tennessee Tech, Thursday night, in Dave Aaron Arena.

Channels, the junior guard, scored 28 points, including 21 in the second half, and Reed 23 as the Governors won their fifth straight game to improve to 11-7 overall and 7-1 in the OVC.

Tennessee Tech, meanwhile, fell to 9-9 overall and 3-5 in the OVC.

The visiting Golden Eagles opened the game with a three pointer and led 6-2 in the game's first 1 ½ minutes. But when Wes Channels hit a driving layup with 16:46 left and completed the three-point play to make it 8-6, the Governors would never trail again.

In fact, Channels' points were part of an early 15-2 run. Tennessee Tech cut the deficit to one, 17-16, but could get no closer the game's remainder as the Govs scored the next six points. APSU would lead by as much as 14 points, 37-23, on a Reed layup before settling for a 37-27 halftime advantage.

Reed finished with nine first-half points as did freshman forward Anthony Campbell, who knocked three-of-four shots. The Govs shot 50 percent (13 of 26) in the first half.

APSU opened the second half with six straight points and Tennessee Tech never got closer than 12 points the game's remainder as Channels took over, scoring eight straight Governors points at one stretch as the lead surpassed 20 points. A Reed jumper with 10:36 left, gave the Govs' their largest margin, 64-40, before  the Govs coasted the rest of the way.

Channels, who entered the night ranked eighth in the nation in three-point shooting percentage (41.1 percent), knocked down two of four attempts against the Golden Eagles and finished 9 of 15 overall from the field. He also had seven rebounds and three assists.

Reed also had an impressive line, going 10 of 17 from the floor, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing four assists to go with two steals. Campbell was APSU's only other double-figure scorer with 12 points.

Four Golden Eagles scored in double figures as 6-9 center Daniel Northern finished with a double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds). Will Barnes also had 12 points as did Kevin Murphy.

Austin Peay finished the night shooting 53.4 percent from the floor, including 56.3 percent (18 of 32) in the second half. The Govs held Tennessee Tech to 38.6 percent shooting (27 of 70).

-AP-