CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The final leg of Austin Peay State University's six-game road journey will take place in Carbondale, Ill., 7:35 p.m., Saturday, when the basketball Governors face Southern Illinois in a non-conference basketball contest.
This will be the second Missouri Valley Conference team the Govs have faced this season. They lost to Indiana State, 61-57, in Terre Haute, Ind., Nov. 24. This will conclude a trek that has seen the Govs crisscross the country and totaled 3,380 miles, including 1360 miles via the highway.
APSU will be facing an SIU team that crafted a 4-3 early season record, despite opening the season with five straight road contests. The Salukis already are 2-0 against the Ohio Valley Conference, both road wins at Tennessee State, 84-67, Nov. 18, and at SIUE, 79-67, Wednesday.
The Salukis have been able to gain a winning record, despite playing just one home game, largely because of owning one of the nation's top scorers in guard Anthony Beane (21.3 ppg, 10th nationally), the ability to shoot free throws (74.1 percent) and rebound (+2.9 advantage). Beane, only a junior, is shooting 56.1 percent from the floor, including 46.2 from three-point range. The Salukis also got a big boost from freshman guard Chaz Glotta against SIUE—he had 13 points. He is the older brother of APSU signee Zach Glotta. Â
"Southern Illinois is a good team with a great player," APSU coach Dave Loos said. "Anthony Beane is putting up some really big numbers. Like I said he is very good player whose dad has been around this a longtime as a coach.
"It will a challenge for us against a good team on the road in another tough place to play."
Although the Govs are 1-4 on their road swing, they still are seeking that first true road win. To get that first road victory, the Governors will need more offensive consistency. The Govs shot just 35 percent from the floor in the road loss to Indiana State before shooting a season-best 53 percent against Brown. However, in the Las Vegas Invitational finale against Stephen F. Austin, APSU shot just 42 percent (20 of 48) from the floor.
The consistency issue also is related to player productivity. Against Brown, starting forward Chris Freeman (career-high 20 points) and senior guard Ed Dyson (18) combined for 38 points but just two against Stephen F. Austin.
The Govs also must recapture the defensive tenacity displayed through much of the season's earlier contest. Stephen F. Austin torched APSU with 63 percent shooting.
-AP-
