CLARKSVILLE—If the first two games of the 2017-18 Ohio Valley Conference schedule are any indication, the rest of the league is going to have a problem with Terry Taylor and Averyl Ugba.
Austin Peay's dynamic post duo again posted double-doubles, turning a close first-half game into a second-half rout in a 70-54 demolition of Eastern Illinois, Saturday.
The first half was closer than head coach Matt Figger may have liked, particularly given an early 8-0 Panther run that put the visitors ahead six minutes in. The opening 20 minutes turned into a slugfest, particularly on the Austin Peay side; the Govs found themselves beset by early foul trouble, which precipitated extended run for the Austin Peay reserves.
Those reserves, particularly Zach Glotta and Steve Harris, answered the call and then some. Harris hit all three of his first-half shots, while Glotta hopped off the pine to score 10 points in 16 minutes on the night, including eight in the first half. Harris' three with seven seconds to go in the first half gave the Govs a lead they would not relinquish.
The Panthers would get within a bucket early in the second half, but an Ugba jumper with just under 15 minutes left touched off a 27-13 APSU run to end the contest, highlighted by seven of freshman Dayton Gumm's 10 points and six points each from Ugba and Taylor swelled the lead as high as 20 points.
The Difference
A sizable advantage on the glass led to Austin Peay's 10-point (19-9) advantage on second-chance points. The plus-17 differential (46-29) on the glass was the second-highest of the season for the Govs and largest against a Division I opponent since Feb. 26, 2015 against SIU Edwardsville.
Notably
- The win makes Austin Peay 2-0 in OVC play for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
- Ugba (17 points, career-high 11 rebounds) and Taylor (12 points, 11 rebounds) made it back-to-back double-double nights. It's the first time a pair of Austin Peay teammates have posted double-doubles in back-to-back games since Feb. 10-13, 2016 when Chris Horton and Kenny Jones did so against Eastern Illinois and UT Martin.
- Taylor's 5-of-7 shooting night from the floor was a career-best. He also pulled in four offensive rebounds, his eighth straight game with at least three offensive boards.
- In starting his OVC career 2-0, Figger is the first APSU with two wins to open conference play in his inaugural season since George Fisher's Governors started the 1962-63 season 5-0 when Austin Peay was a member of the Vol State Athletic Conference.
- The Govs put five players in double figures for the first time since the Miami game, Nov. 26.
- Austin Peay won its first two conference games by double-digits for the first time since the 2004-05 season against Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois; the Govs advanced to the OVC Championship game that season.
- Ugba is averaging 14.0 ppg and 8.1 rpg over his past eight outings, hitting 52.3 percent (45-of-86) from the floor over that time.
- Austin Peay had a December to remember (sorry, Lexus): a 4-3 mark in 2017's final month is Austin Peay's first December above .500 since 2010-11. Digging deeper, it's the first time Austin Peay has finished the November-December portion of the schedule at .500 or better since the 2010-11 season.
- Eastern Illinois hit just six free-throws (season-low by an Austin Peay opponent) in 15 attempts; their 40.0 percent mark at the charity stripe is the worst by an Austin Peay foe this season.
- Austin Peay is outscoring opponents 16.0-8.8 on second chance points in the last five games. The Govs also hold a plus-6.6 rebound margin over the past five contests.
- Eastern Illinois' Montell Goodwin was 5-of-10 on three-point attempts, both highs by an Austin Peay opponent this season.
- Austin Peay is back to .500 on the season for the first time since Dec. 2.
- Glotta put up 10 points, his third double-figure scoring effort in a reserve role this season.
- The win is Austin Peay's fourth straight against Eastern Illinois, making the Govs 30-17 all-time against the Panthers.
- Gumm pulled in a career-high seven boards to go with his 10 points.
- The victory was Austin Peay's first this season when committing more turnovers than an opponent.
- Freshman Richard Henderson equaled a career-high with two blocked shots.
- Austin Peay's average margin of victory is now 24.9 ppg.
- In his season's second double-digit scoring effort (10 points), junior Chris Porter-Bunton also equaled an Austin Peay season-high and his career high with four steals.
Tweet-Tweet
Coaching Quotables with head coach Matt Figger
On starting OVC play 2-0
"I felt like we were really locked in defensively in the second half. One thing I told our games after the game: Winning a conference game, whether home or on the road, is hard. To win two conference games, by 20 and 16 (points), we're putting the wheel on those guys. Guys don't quit in conference games, so to win those first two games the way we have shows the grit of our team."
On starting Steve Harris in the second half
"I felt like he was going to give us something length-wise to guard Goodwin. We didn't do a very good job with the scouting report on him in the first half. When our defense is locked in the right way, that ball screen should never take place at the top of the key and we weren't doing a very good job resisting that dribble back to the middle. Steve creates problems with his length, and he disrupted him and got him out of his rhythm."
On Taylor and Ugba
"I hope that (double-double) trend keeps going. We'll win a lot of games if that happens."
Up Next for the Govs
The final two home contests before a four-game road trip awaits the Govs as UT Martin (Jan. 4, 6 p.m.) and Southeast Missouri (Jan. 6) prepare to visit.
