CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Junior forward Duran Roberson hit a pair of turnaround jumpers in overtime and sophomore forward Anthony Campbell added four more extra-session points to lead Austin Peay State University to a 77-72 victory against Tennessee Tech in Ohio Valley Conference basketball action played Thursday night in Dave Aaron Arena.
The victory improved the Governors to 16-12 overall and 10-6 in the OVC while Tennessee Tech slipped to 13-15 overall and 7-10 in the OVC. The win assures the Governors their eighth straight winning OVC mark.
Campbell, who finished with 23 points, knocked down a game-tying three pointer with 24.2 seconds left in regulation. Tennessee Tech's Elijah Muhammad saw his driving layup roll out just prior to the final buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, after both teams missed opportunities on early possessions, Roberson gave APSU the lead when he knocked down a turnaround jumper right of the lane. The Golden Eagles' Kevin Murphy answered with a jumper before Campbell tipped in a missed John Fraley jumper and was fouled. Although he missed the free throw, the Govs would not trail again.
After Alfred Jones missed a short jumper, Campbell grabbed the rebound. The Govs again went to Roberson down low and the 6-8 Holt, Mich., native responded again with a short turnaround lane jumper with 1:43 left to give APSU a 73-69 lead. Roberson finished with 10 points.
With 43 seconds left, Roberson fouled Murphy, who made one of two free throws. Tennessee Tech waited until 23 seconds left to foul and Wesley Channels, who finished with a game-high 24 points, knocked down two free throws to make it a 75-70 contest.
The Golden Eagles made it a three-point game on a layup before Campbell sealed the contest by knocking down two free throws with five seconds left.
The victory saw the Govs overcome a 13-point first-half deficit as APSU shot just 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) from the floor. In fact, the Golden Eagles sliced through the Govs' man-to-man first-half defense and APSU only slowed the visitors by resorting to a 2-3 zone, especially in the second half. The Govs limited Tennessee Tech to only 39.3 percent second-half shooting and a combined 13 for 37 (35.1 percent) after intermission.
The Govs began to emerge from their malaise derailing Tennessee Tech's offensive surge and knocking down the three pointer on the offensive end. The Govs, in fact, made six second-half three pointers and 11 (of 24) for the game.
When Caleb Brown put a down a three pointer from the top of the circle with 10:19 left, it tied the game at 50. It was only the second time the game was tied-the first was at 2-2. But Tennessee Tech immediately pushed back out to five, thanks to a Frank Davis three pointer, before the Govs scrapped back to tie it at 59 on a Channels' three pointer with 5:18.
But Tech again pulled away by four on consecutive buckets only to watch Channels knock down a three pointer with 3:22 left to make it a one-point game. APSU then garnered its first lead since jumping out 2-0 when Channels hit Roberson for a jumper with 2:06 remaining to make it a 64-63 contest.
That lead was short lived as Murphy, who led the Golden Eagles with 21 points, nailed a jumper right of the circle and then in a wild scramble Alfred Jones cleaned up by picking up a loose ball under his own bucket and dropping in a layup to make it a 67-64 game with1:00 left.
Tech had an opportunity to put the game away but the Golden Eagles could not convert the front end of a one-and-one with 39 seconds left. That set up Campbell's game-tying shot.
Davis finished with 15 points as did Muhammad. The Golden Eagles out-rebounded the Govs, 42-39, although APSU center John Fraley led all rebounders with 11.
-AP-
