Men's Basketball | November 15, 2019
CLARKSVILLE—Austin Peay State University men's basketball team will face a second straight tough road test when the Govs take on Tulsa, 2 p.m., Saturday, at the Reynolds Center.
The Govs and Golden Hurricane will meet for the first time in Austin Peay's second journey to the Sooner State under head coach Matt Figger; the Govs played Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Nov. 29, 2017 in Figger's debut campaign, with Terry Taylor scoring 15 points and pulling down 11 rebounds against the Cowboys.
This is Austin Peay's first of four games falling under the umbrella of the Vanderbilt Invitational; the Govs will face the Commodores on Nov. 20 in Nashville before returning home to host Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 23) and South Carolina State (Nov. 25).
Scouting the Golden Hurricane
Tulsa has won 16 straight nonconference home contests, a streak which dates back to 2017 and includes wins against Big 12 foes Oklahoma State and Kansas State last season. Frank Haith, who won the Big 12 Tournament and was National Coach of the Year in 2012 at Missouri, has had the Golden Hurricanes above .500 in four of his five seasons, including back-to-back 20-win campaigns in 2015 and 2016. Consistency has been the struggle early for Tulsa; the Golden Hurricane shot at least 45 percent from the floor in their two wins, but barely cracked 30 percent in their loss to UT Arlington, and Tulsa has struggled from deep (12-for-49 from three). No Tulsa player has reached double-figures in all three games; Jeriah Horne had 22 in the opener, 11 against Arlington and was held scoreless against Oral Roberts, while Brandon Rachal sandwiched a 2-point, 4-rebound performance against Arlington between a 12-10 in the opener against Houston Baptist and a 24-9 showing against Oral Roberts.
Last Time Out Against Tulsa
This is Austin Peay's first meeting with Tulsa, and its second meeting with an American Athletic Conference school under Figger's tutelage; the Govs took USF to overtime last season as part of the Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic.
Keep An Eye On…
- A win would be Austin Peay's first against an American Athletic Conference opponent since the AAC formed in 2013.
- With Carlos Paez (fourth, 2.5), Jordyn Adams (t-sixth, 2.0) and Terry Taylor (t-sixth, 2.0), the Govs are the only team in the OVC with three players among the top-six in steals.
- A win would be Austin Peay's first in the state of Oklahoma since Jan. 4, 1986 in the Sooner Invitational against Little Rock.
- The Governors 18.0 offensive rebounds per game ranks fourth in the NCAA.
- The Govs have registered fewer than 70 points just once in the 2019 calendar year--against Belmont in the 2019 OVC Tournament semifinals.
- Milestone Watch: Taylor needs 13 points to pass LaMonte Ware for 19th all-time, 16 rebounds to pass Howard Jackson for 13th, two blocked shots to pass Will Triggs for 11th and two free-throws to pass Jermaine Savage for 35th.
They Said It
Tickets, please
Governors Courtside Seating returns for the 2019-20 season. Fans can contact the APSU Athletics Ticket Office for courtside seating availability and pricing. The VIPeay Hoops Experience, available to Black Tie Monocle Society members and above, also returns for 2019-20 after a successful debut last season. For more information on joining the Governors in the Dunn Center this winter, to secure season tickets or to become involved with the Monocle Society, call 931-221-PEAY.
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 the ESPN+ app. Regrettably, there will be no radio coverage for this contest.
