CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Glenn Cosey tied the Dunn Center record for three pointers by an opponent with eight as Eastern Kentucky connected on 17 three pointers to hand Austin Peay State University a 96-75 Ohio Valley Conference loss, Saturday night, in Dave Aaron Arena.

The home loss was a huge blow to the Governors chance for an Ohio Valley Conference tourney berth. The Govs slipped to 11-17 overall and 5-9 in the OVC. Southeast Missouri (6-8 OVC) moved past the Governors into eighth place for the final OVC tourney spot with its road win at UT Martin. APSU travels to Southeast Missouri, Thursday night.

Meanwhile, picked to win the OVC East in the preseason but seated in third place with a 9-5 league mark entering the night, Eastern Kentucky certainly looked like the part of the favorite the way it shot the ball, Saturday night. Cosey was 8-of-12 from three-point range to finish with 27 points. Tarius Johnson added 24 on 7-of-9 shooting while Corey Walden tossed in 16 and Eric Stutz 15 on 6-of-6 shooting.

EKU finished the night 17-of-32 from three-point range and 33-of-57 (58 percent) overall. They also had 25 assists on their 33 buckets, including nine by Cosey and eight by Walden.

APSU actually matched EKU with its floor shooting (29 of 50, 58 percent) but could only muster a trio of three pointers on 12 attempts. The Govs also held a 28-to-23 rebound advantage but the Govs committed 20 turnovers—the seventh time they have committed 20 or more turnovers this season.

APSU was forced to start Damarius Smith at point guard when Fred Garmon, who played 42 minutes against Morehead State, Wednesday, reinjured a knee during shooting practice earlier Saturday, leaving him unavailable. Smith, who missed the previous four games with an ankle sprain and practiced for the first time Friday In two weeks, was far from 100 percent.

As a result, Zavion Williams, battling his own knee issue this week, played most of the point guard minutes.

APSU got down 21-12 early in the game but rallied to take a 34-32 lead with 2:31 left in the half. However, it was short lived as the Colonels closed the half on an 8-0 run, including a pair of threes, to take a 40-34 margin into intermission.

Senior Will Triggs, playing his final APSU home game, scored the first points of the second half on a layup but Cosey hit back-to-back three pointers to increase the margin to 10. APSU would slice their deficit below 10 points just one more time as EKU connected on 9-of-15 second-half three pointers to pull away.

Guard Travis Betran, also played his final home game, scored 23 points for APSU, going 9-of-16 from the floor. Ed Dyson added 13 with Chris Horton 10.

-AP-