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Austin Peay State University Athletics

Austin Peay defeated Murray 74-70 during OVC action Monday night at the Dunn Center. Photos by Robert Smith | APSU Athletics
Robert Smith

Post-Christmas slate begins Wednesday at Tennessee State

December 29, 2020

CLARKSVILLE— After two meetings against Murray State–one a dispiriting loss, one an uplifting victory–Austin Peay State University men's basketball team will look to maintain the momentum from last week's win in their first meeting with Tennessee State to close out calendar year 2020. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., Wednesday night, at the Gentry Center.

The Govs have lost three in a row on the road in Ohio Valley Conference play; Austin Peay has not had a four-game slide in league road games since a seven-game skid spanning the late part of 2015 and early 2016. The Tigers, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win against a Division I opponent this season.

This contest begins a journey for the Govs in the early part of the league schedule that will take Austin Peay away from home for five of their next six games; after returning home to host Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, the Govs will travel to SIU Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois, UT Martin and Southeast Missouri over the next two weeks.

Scouting the Tigers

Without Carlos Marshall Jr., the Tigers have relied heavily on sophomore Mark Freeman, and the 5-10 guard is putting up very good numbers–17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a tidy 43.8 mark from the floor. The key for Tiger head coach Brian Collins is finding a consistent second option until Marshall returns–as the Governors have learned during Jordyn Adams' absence, a reliable second playmaker can take a lot of focus off the primary guy and while Austin Peay has gotten consistent contributions from Reginald Gee, no Tiger has been able to showcase the same night-in, night-out consistency.

It can't have helped the Tigers that their season got off to such an uneven start–Tennessee State's first two games were cancelled and its third moved back two weeks, so the Tigers didn't even open play until Dec. 8 against Belmont; by that time, the Govs had already gotten four games in to open play.

Tennessee State's 1-4 record cannot be considered an indication of who they are as a team; opening the season with your crosstown rival, in a league game, is a recipe for disaster and aside from two losses to one of league's heavy hitters, the Tigers played IUPUI and Chattanooga to one possession in both meetings. While the overall shooting has seen an uptick over the course of its still-young season, Tennessee State's miseries beyond the arc have remained; the Tigers are last in the league from beyond the arc at 23.2 percent, and have failed to hit 30 percent from three in all four losses.

Last Time Against Tennessee State

Last season, the Tigers handed the Governors their first league loss in a 70-68 defeat at the Gentry Center, Feb. 6, 2020. The Govs trailed early and heavily before Terry Taylor–who scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half–took over to give the Govs a lift. Taylor was held to four points in the second half, but Jordyn Adams scored all 12 of his points after halftime and foul trouble helped the Govs make it a one-possession game for much of the remainder. However, Austin Peay failed to hit a shot from the floor over the final 6:12 and a Taylor halfcourt heave fell to the wayside as time expired.

Keep An Eye On…

  • A win would be Austin Peay's first win in the Music City against any opponent since the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship victory against UT Martin.
  • A loss would give the Govs multiple league losses before the New Year for the first time since 2011.
  • The Govs have outscored their opponent in second-chance points in seven of eight games this season, including all five victories.
  • A win would be Austin Peay's first win in the Gentry Center since Feb. 6, 2014.
  • Freshman Tai'Reon Joseph is averaging 11.8 points over the last four games, knocking down 2.8 threes per night.
  • A win would give the Govs at least six victories before the New Year for the fourth consecutive season.
  • Milestone Watch—Career: Taylor needs nine points to become the second Gov with 2,100 or more career points. He also needs 11 shot attempts to become the sixth Gov with 1,500 or more career field goals attempted.
  • Milestone Watch—OVC: With 12 rebounds, Taylor would tie Warren Kidd (Middle Tennessee, 1990-93) and Norman Pokley (Morehead State, 1960-63) for 12th all-time in league history with 1,046 career rebounds.

They Said It

Govs in the time of COVID

For the 2020-21 season, Austin Peay State University athletics will allow approximately 35 percent capacity in the Dunn Center for home basketball events. There will be no lower bowl seating for fans during the season. The lower level will be limited to players, coaches, and game-day support staff only. Seats will be assigned to create a buffer between groups to ensure social distancing is maintained. Students seating will be located in sections AA-BB for both men's and women's games. Masks or facial coverings are required to enter the Dunn Center. They must remain in place at all times unless eating or drinking. Failure to comply with any of these measures, by fans or media, could result in immediate expulsion from the arena.

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.

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