CLARKSVILLE—Austin Peay State University men's basketball team overcame a sluggish start against Sewanee with a monster second half Friday night, pulling away late with an 89-72 victory over the Tigers.
After showcasing a balanced attack against Thomas More in the exhibition opener, Austin Peay was largely a two-man show against Sewanee, with senior Kenny Jones (25 points) and junior Josh Robinson (game-high 31) combining for nearly two-thirds of the Governors scoring output.
Neither Jones nor Robinson nor anyone else could really find the range early for Austin Peay. After racing out to a big lead in the exhibition opener against Thomas More, the Govs missed eight of their first 12 shots and committed seven turnovers in the first 10:20 to fall behind by 12 against Sewanee.
However, the Govs would roar back over the first half's final nine minutes, outscoring the Tigers 26-11. Jones had 12 of his 14 first-half points during the Govs comeback, with Austin Peay taking a late lead thanks to a Zach Glotta three with nine seconds remaining in the half.
The second half would belong to Austin Peay. Robinson put up 20 in the second period alone, including three three-pointers; he added six of his game-high seven assists in the final 20 minutes.
Sewanee played the Govs close over the second half's first four minutes before Austin Peay rolled off a 32-12 run over nearly 10 minutes to put the game away. Again Robinson and Jones did much of the damage, combining to supply 22 points during the run. As a unit, Austin Peay shot 58.8 percent (20-for-34) in the second half.
With the outside shot (7-for-19) proving less effective than it was Tuesday against Thomas More, the Governors turned their attention inside and imposed their will on Sewanee; Austin Peay outscored the visitors 48-14 in the paint.
The Difference
Sewanee's three-point barrage (15-for-38, only nine shots made inside the arc) was impressive, but the Govs owned the advantage in nearly every other aspect, outscoring the Tigers in the paint (48-14), off turnovers (26-9), on second chance opportunities (17-7) and on the break (14-2). Jones (game-high nine rebounds), sophomore Jared Savage (eight) and sophomore Chris Porter-Bunton (seven) controlled the glass, having nearly as many rebounds between them (24) as Sewanee managed to total (29).
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Coaching Quotables
"We did enough to win, but we didn't do near enough to get ready for Dayton. (Sewanee) played a nice game; you have to tip your hat to them. They shot it well and we closed out with our hands low. I almost felt like we let them play HORSE and spot-shoot. A lot of people can play if you do that." – Head Coach Dave Loos
Up Next for the Govs
Now finished with the exhibition slate, the Governors will turn their attention to the regular-season opener at Dayton, Nov. 11. It will be APSU's first visit to Dayton since 2006 and the fourth meeting between the two sides dating back to 1991.
