Box Score CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee blistered Austin Peay State University's defense with 65 percent shooting and rolled past the Governors, 90-70, in non-conference basketball action at Dave Aaron Arena, Saturday night.
The loss drops the Governors 0-7 on the season, their worst start since the 1993-94 season. Middle Tennessee, meanwhile, is off to its best start since the 1987-88 season with a 6-1 record.
And the Blue Raiders controlled the game from the outset. In fact, Middle Tennessee scored the game's first four points and never trailed in the contest. When Will Triggs made it a 10-7 game with a free throws at the 12:30 mark, MTSU went on a 12-3 run, capped by two Marcos Knight buckets, to stretch its advantage to 12, Austin Peay would never get closer than five points the game's remainder.
The Blue Raiders led 38-30 at intermission and then scored the second half's first 10 points to put the game out of reach. MTSU built as much as a 23-point second-half lead at 61-38 before the Govs, primarily comprised of reserves, ran off 11 straight points to cut the margin to 63-51. But Middle Tennessee quickly regained the momentum using three straight dunks and a free throw to push the advantage back out to 19.
Five Blue Raiders scored in double figures, led by Marcos Knight with 16 points while Shawn Jones-a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor-and Dendy ended up with 13 points.
Middle Tennessee, which shot 60 percent (15 of 25) in the first half, was even better in the second (69.2 percent/18 of 26). The 64.7 percent was second only to their 71.4 percent shooting in the Blue Raiders road win at UCLA.
Meanwhile, the Governors (21 of 58/36.2 percent) shot below 40 percent for the fifth time in seven games this season.
TyShwan Edmondson led the Govs with 14 points while Melvin Baker added 12.
The Governors were outrebounded 40-26. In fact, APSU has been outrebounded in each game since center John Fraley went out with a concussion in the opener at MTSU. Fraley's return to practice, let alone to game action, is still uncertain.
-AP-