By: Colby Wilson, Associate Director of Athletics Communications
CLARKSVILLE—As the second half of the Ohio Valley Conference schedule gets underway, Austin Peay State University men's basketball team looks to keep its unbeaten record alive when the Govs welcome Eastern Illinois into the Dunn Center for a Saturday afternoon matchup.
The Governors are entering rarefied air as we cross the halfway point of the season; still unbeaten in league play, Austin Peay is one of 14 Division I programs still unbeaten in its league and has reached the halfway mark without a blemish in the loss column for just the second time in program history. The back half of the schedule will offer a significant challenge, beginning with Eastern Illinois; not just do the Govs have two games remaining against the Panthers, Austin Peay Eastern Kentucky, a return trip to Nashville against Belmont and Tennessee State and both Murray State contests left on the docket.
Saturday's doubleheader, which begins with the women's contest at 1:30 p.m., is both a Whiteout Game and Military Appreciation Day, with a custom t-shirt giveaway thanks to game sponsor Cumberland Surgical Arts.
Scouting the Panthers
Eastern Illinois' 4-5 record in the league belies a real danger; the Panthers have not only played the Govs tough in recent years, with only one meeting between the two squads decided by more than 10 points since 2016. Jay Spoonhour has assembled a defense-first unit that is the only OVC team among the nation's top-100 in blocks (4.5 bpg, 43rd), steals (7.8 spg, 62nd), turnovers forced (15.52, 57th) and opponent field goal percentage (41.0, 99th).
 Eastern Illinois boasts a trio of players who could star for most any team in the OVC. Guards Josiah Wallace and Mack Smith combine for 26 points per night on 44 percent shooting from the field. Wallace's style is more on attacking the rack, while Smith boasts the nation's longest streak with a made three-pointer, currently sitting at 70 games after hitting a pair Thursday night against Murray State.
What Terry Taylor and Jordyn Adams have been to the OVC Player and Freshman of the Week honors, George Dixon has been to the Newcomer accolade, earning the honor on three occasions. The 6-5 junior, who hails from the same Vincennes program Austin Peay head coach Matt Figger coached at long ago, has elements of Taylor's game in his arsenal. Despite standing 6-5, he's second in the league in rebounding at a robust 9.0 per contest, with eight double-doubles on the season including monster performances against 2019 National Runner-Up Texas Tech (13 points, 10 boards), Green Bay (24 points, 13 rebounds), Eastern Kentucky (15 points, 11 boards and most recently at Murray State (10 points, season-high 15 boards). The matchup between against Dixon will represent one of Taylor's biggest tests in the OVC this season.
Last Time Out Against Eastern Illinois
In just his 59th career game, Terry Taylor scored career point No. 1,000 for the Govs in a 94-86 win against Eastern Illinois, Feb. 9, 2019. He became just the sixth second-year player to reach that milestone in an Austin Peay uniform. Zach Glotta poured in a then-career high 22 points to supplement Taylor in the win.
Keep An Eye On…
- Over the last six games, Austin Peay has come to life from three, hitting 10.2 triples per contest at a 43.9 percent (61-for-139) clip.
- Junior Eli Abaev averaging 12.0 points and 9.3 rebounds over the last four games.
- Austin Peay has now committed 10 or fewer turnovers in a game seven times this season, tied for the third-highest tally since the turn of the century.
- Adams is averaging 27.3 points on 50.7 percent (36-for-69) shooting from the floor over the last four games.
- During league play, the Govs are at plus-3.3 in turnover margin and plus-5.7 in rebounding margin.
- Since OVC play began, freshman Alec Woodard is hitting 61.9 percent (13-for-21) from beyond the arc.
- A win would…
- Make the Govs 10-0 in league play for the first time since the historic 2003-04 squad went unbeaten in league play.
- Give Austin Peay a 13-game home winning streak, its longest since a 28-gamer from 2002-04.
- Be Austin Peay's first 10-game winning streak since an 11-gamer during the 2006-07 season.
- Milestone Watch: Taylor needs two points and one rebound to become the sixth active player to reach 1,700 career points and 800 career rebounds. He would become the fourth Austin Peay player to reach those marks, joining Tom Morgan (1952-58), Chris Horton (2012-16) and Otis Howard (1974-78). With 22 points, he would pass Howard, Horton, Wesley Channels and Howard Wright and move into the top-five all-time in career scoring, and he needs just 11 points to become the first player in Austin Peay history to score 500 points in three different seasons of his Austin Peay career.
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 or to become involved with the Monocle Society, call 931-221-PEAY. You can also purchase tickets online at www.LetsGoPeay.com/buytickets; be sure to access the new 360-degree view of the Dunn Center when purchasing tickets.
Saturday afternoon's doubleheader online promo code is FAMILY; use that promo code at checkout for online purchases for four general admission tickets for $20.
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. ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM/540 AM) will carry the radio broadcast locally and online.
