CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University 2014-15 men's basketball schedule will feature seven opponents that won 20 or more games a year ago.
The Governors' slate will include 14 home regular-season games plus two exhibitions. That home calendar will see the Govs play North Florida for the first time, a 2 p.m. New Year's Eve contest. They also will play Troy for the first time since the 1977-78 season—the Dunn Center's third season of existence—in a Dec. 15 home contest.
APSU fans can purchases tickets in multiple ways: in person at the Winfield Dunn Center ticket office; over the telephone (931-221-PEAY) or online at LetsGoPeay.com/SportTix. Austin Peay athletics accepts payment via cash and check in person. When purchasing by phone, the Athletics Ticket Office accepts Visa and Mastercard. The APSU athletic ticket office is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m.
The Governors actual home opener will occur, Nov. 15, against Berea after they open the season the previous night at former Ohio Valley Conference rival Western Kentucky, a team that has four starters back after going 20-12 a year ago with four starters back. The Govs then will play another former OVC foe, Samford, in Birmingham, Nov. 19, before beginning the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational, Nov. 21, at Illinois and then Indiana State, Nov. 24, before heading to the City of Lights for the final two games. Illinois was 20-15 in 2013-14 while Indiana State was 23-11—both teams played in the NIT.
In Vegas, the Governors will play Brown in the third round and either 2014 NCAA participant and 32-game winner Stephen F. Austin or Prairie View A&M in the final round.
The Governors then will play at home the next four of the next five games, playing host to Lipscomb, Dec. 13; Troy, Dec. 15, Oakland City, Dec. 18 and North Florida, Dec. 31. A second Lipscomb matchup (Dec. 21) is the only away tilt during that stretch.
APSU's final non-conference game will take it to Southeastern Conference country when the Govs play Ole Miss in a Saturday, January 3 matchup.
The Governors, who were 12-18 overall a year ago, then open Ohio Valley Conference play at Jacksonville State, Jan. 8, followed by a trip to Tennessee Tech, Jan. 10.
The next weekend the Governors play their first OVC home games, first against Belmont, Jan. 15, and Tennessee State, Jan. 17. The OVC regular-season champ Bruins (26-10) are one of four league teams to capture 20 wins in 2013-14, joining tourney champ Eastern Kentucky ( 24-10), Morehead State (20-14) and Murray State (23-11).
After a weekend swing to SIU Edwardsville (Jan. 22) and Eastern Illinois (Jan. 24), the Governors will play five straight league games at home, highlighted by the Saturday, Feb. 7 matchup against rival Murray State. The Governors final OVC home game will be Feb. 26 against SIU Edwardsville.
Under the new Ohio Valley Conference scheduling format, the women's basketball schedule is set for Wednesday/Saturday, with schools owning the ability under the league's change of schedule policy to shift games to Thursday night so long as there is a balance between which programs play in the prime-time slot. At this point two of Austin Peay's Thursday doubleheaders, Feb. 5 against UT Martin, and Eastern Illinois, Feb. 12, will see the Governors play first in the 5:15 p.m. slot followed by the women.
A third Thursday doubleheader—Thursday, Jan. 15 vs. Tennessee State—will see the Governors play at the 7:30 p.m. time slot. Currently, the Governors-Lady Govs are schedule to play seven doubleheaders, including the exhibition openers for both.
-AP-
