DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Austin Peay men's basketball team played a strong second-half, but could not overcome North Carolina State in a 66-59 loss, Saturday, at the Glenn Wilkes Classic played at the Ocean Center.

The Govs had it within four points, 61-57, with 1:06 to play when sophomore Anthony Campbell capped a 6-0 run with a jumper in the paint. The Wolfpack bounced back with a jumper and a free-throw by Tracy Smith to make it a six-point game. Austin Peay came up short on a three-pointer with 29 seconds to play and a quick foul put N.C. State back on the free-throw line. Scott Wood hit two for the Wolfpack and Caleb Brown hit a pair for the Govs to set the final margin.

Behind a 58.6 percent (17 of 29) second-half shooting effort, Austin Peay was able to bridge a 16-point, N.C. State, halftime lead. The second stanza opened up with back-and-forth scoring. In fact, it wasn't until the 8:14 mark in the second half that the Govs were able to cut the lead to 10 points, 56-46, after a jumper by senior Wesley Channels.

N.C. State's C.J. Williams answered quickly with a jumper on the other end and a defensive battle ensued over the next two minutes. Julius Mays hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 59-46 at the 5:19 mark, but a dunk by sophomore Marcel Williams cut the lead to 11 points, 59-48. Campbell put it in single-digits, 59-51, with a three-pointer off a screen with 3:05 to play. The Govs chipped away over the next three minutes, but the Wolfpack were never without an answer.

Campbell finished with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while Channels added 12 points and four assists. Brown came off the bench to provide a strong defensive presence on the perimeter – scoring six points, grabbing seven rebounds and making two steals. Williams finished with nine points and eight boards.

Smith led three Wolfpack players in double figures with 16 points, while Dennis Horner and Scott Wood added 15 and 10 points, respectively.

The slow offensive start for the Govs allowed N.C. State to build an advantage on the scoreboard, as well as with game momentum. Everything down to Mays' last-second three-pointer before the break prevented Austin Peay from creating any kind of rhythm on either end of the floor. The Govs made just 7 of 20 (35 percent) in the first half, but finished the game a respectable 24 of 49 (49 percent). N.C. State, meanwhile, made 26 of 58 (44.8 percent) from the floor.

Austin Peay, who entered the game as a 67-percent free-throw shooting team, made just 9 of 18 from the charity stripe. A large part of that came in the opening frame where the Govs hit 6 of 12.

The Glenn Wilkes Classic comes to a close for Austin Peay with a 5 p.m., Sunday, game against Niagara. The Purple Eagles are 2-1 thus far in the Classic.


-AP-