By: Colby Wilson, APSU Athletics Communications
CLARKSVILLE—Following another road test against a high-major foe, Austin Peay is back in the Dunn Center to host Alabama A&M in its first meeting with a SWAC foe since 2005 and the first outside of a neutral court.
The Govs gave Oklahoma State all it could handle Wednesday night, cutting the lead to single-digits late in the second half. Freshmen Dayton Gumm (19 points) and Terry Taylor (15 points, 11 rebounds) led the way for Austin Peay and look to build on that success against Alabama A&M.
A win would push Austin Peay to 4-1 at home to start the 2017-18 season—it would be the Governors best start to the home schedule since the 2014-15 season.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Seeking its first win of the season under new head coach Donnie Marsh, Alabama A&M has played a challenging schedule featuring two top-25 foes (Alabama and Minnesota) and a Georgia Southern squad sitting third in the Sun Belt. The Bulldogs calling card is their three-point shooting; Alabama A&M hits from beyond the arc at a 38.8 percent clip, but allows opponents to hit 39.6 percent from three (320th nationally). And with a nation-worst 0.7 blocks per game average, the inside presence of Averyl Ugba (who had 16 points and 14 boards against Alabama A&M the last time he faced the Bulldogs at Grambling) and Taylor should work to Austin Peay's advantage.
Last Time Out Against Alabama A&M
This is Austin Peay's first-ever contest against Alabama A&M; all-time, the Govs are 3-0 against the SWAC, with neutral-court wins against Texas Southern (2005), Jackson State (2000) and Alcorn State (1988).
Keep An Eye On…
- The Dunn has been kind to the Govs so far this season; Austin Peay is 3-1 at home, with only a three-point loss to UNC Asheville as a blemish. Seven Govs are averaging at least 7.8 ppg at home, with Taylor (15.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and Ugba (13.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg) close to double-doubles every time out on their home court.
- As a group, the Govs are averaging 91.0 ppg at home and hitting 51.7 percent from the floor, including a 60 percent performance against Miami that was its best since Dec. 28, 2016 against Western Kentucky.
- Gumm is averaging 21.0 ppg since being inserted into the starting lineup two games ago.
- For the third straight game, APSU head coach Matt Figger will face off with a first-year head coach in Donnie Marsh, who came to Huntsville after serving as Mike Davis' associate head coach at Texas Southern.
- 0-7 is not unheard of for Alabama A&M to start a season; the Bulldogs were winless through the first 13 games of last season after winning four straight--including two against OVC foes--to start the previous year.
They Said It
Govs Online
Check back at LetsGoPeay.com and on Austin Peay's Official Athletics Facebook page often for up-to-date news about all Governor athletics, as well as the Governor men's basketball Twitter page (@AustinPeayMBB). Live stats will be available during the game at PeayStats.com, and all home games and Ohio Valley Conference games can be viewed on www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com. Postgame video interviews and other videos from around APSU Athletics can be found on our YouTube page
