FORT WAYNE, Ind.  – After freshman Drew Calderon knocked down a three-pointer with 1:47 remaining to tie the game at 58, the Austin Peay men's basketball team scored just two points down the stretch to drop a tight contest to Purdue Fort Wayne 65-60 on Tuesday night.

The Govs trailed by six with five minutes remaining before Calderon came off the bench and went on a personal 6-0 run with back-to-back three-pointers to cut the Mastodons deficit down to two. After Purdue Fort Wayne made 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, Calderon came in clutch on the next Govs possession with two offensive rebounds and a three-pointer to tie the game at 58 with 1:47 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, an offensive rebound from the Mastodons led to a dunk and a foul that gave Purdue Fort Wayne a three-point lead. With one-minute remaining, Austin Peay turned the ball over on its next possession that led to a corner three from Purdue Fort Wayne to widen its lead to seven with under 30 seconds to play. Junior Carlos Paez scored the final bucket for the Govs with one second left in a 65-60 loss on the road.

Offensively the Govs had three score in double figures led by redshirt senior Tariq Silver with 15. Silver was 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-7 from long distance to go along with three rebounds and three assists. The Clarksville native scored 10 of his team-high 15 points in the first half.

For the second straight game, redshirt freshman Caleb Stone-Carrawell scored in double figures with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field with three from long distance. Stone-Carrawell also pulled in three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes.

Off the bench freshman Drew Calderon scored a career-high 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the three-point line. Calderon scored nine of his 12 points during the final four minutes of play. Reigning OVC Co-Freshman of the Week Elijah Hutchins-Everett scored four points and while tallying a career-high 12 rebounds, five coming on the offensive glass.

Rounding out the scoring for the Govs was senior Elton Walker with seven points followed by redshirt senior Corbin Merritt with three and DJ Peavy, Cameron Copeland and Carlos Paez with two. As a team the Govs shot 38.3 percent from the field and knocked down 12 three-pointers. Austin Peay outrebounded Purdue Fort Wayne, 37-32, holding a 13-9 advantage on the offensive glass.

It was a slow start for both teams in the first half as both teams went a combined 2-for-12 from the field through the first five minutes of action. The game was tied at seven with 14:50 left in the first half after a driving lay-up from Stone-Carrawell. The Concord, N.C., native had five of APSU's first seven points.

Midway through the first half, Austin Peay went scoreless from the field for over three minutes as the Mastodons pulled out in front and gained a 12-10 advantage. With 5:03 left remaining in the first half the Govs went on a quick 5-0 run after a transition three from Stone-Carrawell to tie the game at 20. Down the stretch the Govs went just 1-of-4 from the field as Purdue Fort Wayne ended on a 5-0 run to take a 29-25 lead into the locker room.

The Govs got off to a fast start to begin the second half, making four of their first five field goals to trim the Mastodons lead down to four at the 15:16 mark. Austin Peay regained the lead with 11:36 to go after an 11-2 run over a five-minute span. The 11-2 run was highlighted by a Stone-Carrawell fast break lay-up and a transition three from Silver.

Each team traded baskets during the halfway point of the second half before Merritt knocked down his lone three-pointer of the night from the top of the key to tie the game at 49 with 7:08 to play. Purdue Fort Wayne responded with a quick 6-0 run to earn a 55-49 lead with less than five minutes remaining. The Govs tied the game four minutes later thanks to Calderon's four three-pointer of the night.

With the game tied at 58 with 1:47 remaining, Austin Peay was outscored 7-2 down the stretch as Purdue Fort Wayne secured the 65-60 victory.

NOTABLES

• Freshman Drew Calderon scored nine of his career-high 12 points the final four minutes of regulation
• Austin Peay had three score in double figures for the second time in three games
• The Govs were 12-of-30 from behind the three-point line
  • APSU's 30 three-point attempts, was the most since Nov. 30, 2016
• It's the first time APSU has made 10 or more three-pointers since knocking down 12 at Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 4, 2021
• APSU's 12 three-pointers were four shy of the single-game school record of 16 back in 2015-16
• Dating back to last season, the Govs have lost seven straight road games

UP NEXT
Continuing their road swing, the Govs travel north once again to square off with Dayton on Saturday, Nov. 20. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside UD Arena.

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