CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ? Forward Drake Reed scored 32 points and guard Wes Channels, shaking a recent shooting slump, added 22 to lead Austin Peay State University to an 83-80 win, Saturday night, against rival Murray State in Ohio Valley Conference basketball action.
The victory snapped a three-game Governors losing streak in improving APSU to 13-10 overall and 9-4 in the OVC. The win also assumed Austin Peay no worse than a .500 conference season for the 16th straight season.
Murray State, meanwhile, saw its three-game win streak end as Racers fell to 11-10 overall, 6-5 in the OVC.
Reed, who was coming off a 35-point Thursday night effort in an overtime loss to UT Martin, scored 23 first-half points as he and the Racers' Danero Thomas (21 points) seemingly had a mano-a-mano battle in the opening 20 minutes.
Reed, the 6-5 senior, went 8-of-10 from the floor while Thomas was 7 of 11 in the half as the two teams battled to a 45 halftime tie.
Early in the second half, the visitors gained early control and held a 60-53 lead with 14:57 left when Tyler Holloway nailed a long jumper.
APSU's Channels, who entered the game having gone just 1-of-17 from three-point range in the previous two games, nailed his only three-point attempt to momentarily stem the momentum. But Thomas responded with a jumper before Reed made it a four-point game and then Channels was fouled on a three-point attempt. His three free throws made it a one-point game with 13:09 remaining.
Another Thomas three pointer made it a four-point before the Governors finally tied after two Anthony Campbell free throws and a Channels layup. Reed then knocked down a jumper to give APSU the lead at 67-65 with 9:57 left before Ivan Aska tied it on a layup of his own.
But APSU took the lead for good when Kyle Duncan knocked down his only three pointer of the night for a 70-67 margin with 8:27 left.
The Governors again would scratch out a three-point advantage at 74-71 after Reed and Anthony Campbell each made one free throw lead. The Govs finally gained a five-point cushion when Duncan nailed a jumper.
However, the game's deciding play may have been when, after a wild scramble in the Murray State lane, Channels was able to come away with a loose ball and while falling to the floor threw it to freshman point guard Tyrone Caldwell, who was able to fire in a running one hander over a Racer defender for a 78-71 lead with 2:31 left.
The Racers would never get closer than four points until the final buzzer.
Both teams shot well from the floor. Murray State finished the night shooting 52.5 percent (32 of 61) but the
Governors were even better, shooting a season-best 60.4 percent (29 of 48).
Thomas finished with a career-best 30 points for the Racers while Holloway added 14.
Caldwell, who moved back into the Govs starting lineup at point guard in place of Caleb Brown, finished with eight points, three assists and zero turnovers in a career-best 35 mintes. Another freshman, Anthony Campbell, also had eight poitns for the Govs.
-AP-
