CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.—Austin Peay State University men's basketball team dropped an overtime outing against Southeast Missouri, 86-81, Tuesday night, from the Show Me Center.
The loss begins the last of three consecutive three-game weeks for the Govs (13-9, 9-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference) due to COVID-19 reschedules. For Southeast Missouri (8-14, 6-10), the win gives the Redhawks a boost in the league standings as they seek a spot in Evansville at the end of Brad Korn's first season as head coach.
For much of the first half, Terry Taylor carried the load for an Austin Peay unit that was struggling to make shots. The Govs scored just 11 points over the game's first 12:58, hitting only three shots from the floor during that time with a sprinkling of free-throws helping Austin Peay remain within striking distance at 21-11.
The Govs shook off the early doldrums with a 12-2 run to tie it thanks in part to threes from Taylor and Tai'Reon Joseph that had the Redhawks scrambling and the Govs surging.
The final 3:31 of the half belonged to Reginald Gee. With momentum on their side, Austin Peay found the grad transfer over and over again late in the first half; the Houston native scored 13 during this stretch, including back-to-back threes late in the half to put the Govs up 11 before the Redhawks recovered to make it 39-33 at the break.
Austin Peay closed out the first half strong and opened the second half even stronger, going on a 10-3 run to take a 13-point lead after an Alec Woodard three at the 15:30 mark. It was all coming up Govs, and they appeared on the threshold of putting the Redhawks away.
Southeast Missouri cut the lead back to eight a few possessions later, but it ranged from an 8-12 point advantage for Austin Peay for the first 15 minutes of the half. But when Southeast Missouri got its opportunity—in the midst of a late-half malaise that only Taylor hit a shot from the floor over the final six minutes of regulation—the Redhawks pounced.
Southeast Missouri, not a traditional power from beyond the arc—the Redhawks entered the night hitting just 7.1 threes per game at a shade under 34 percent distance, numbers that were comparable to their Tuesday night showing—but hit the ones that mattered down the stretch. Eric Reed Jr. cut it to three with a triple just under the four-minute mark. Reed Jr. also answered a Taylor bucket with another three to cut Austin Peay's lead to one with 54 seconds to play. But it was Darrious Agnew—he of two attempted three-pointers all season—who hit the one that forced overtime with a little more than three seconds to go in regulation; Taylor's mid-court heave was just offline and overtime was afoot.
Gee opened the overtime scoring with a jumper for the Govs to take an early lead. Southeast Missouri, which struggled for much of the game at the line, hit them when they mattered in the extra session, going 8-of-10 at the stripe; by contrast, the Govs did not attempt a free-throw in overtime.
After free-throws from Agnew and Nana Akenten put the Redhawks up one, Alec Woodard again put the Govs in front with a three with 3:08 to play; the teams went more than a minute without a score before Southeast Missouri, again at the stripe, hit 3-of-4 from Chris Harris and Nygal Russell to retake the lead, with another Reed Jr. three putting the Redhawks up four with 44 seconds to play.
Mike Peake gave the Govs life with a three from the left wing at the 23 second mark. The Govs called timeout and then forced a five-second violation on the ensuing inbounds play to retake possession, down just one.
A lob to Taylor was just out of reach and caromed back toward the arc, where Russell grabbed it and went the length of the court for a dunk with 12 seconds left. A missed three and two Akenten free-throws later, the Redhawks were the overtime victors.
Taylor finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds to lead all players in both categories. Gee was the only other Gov in double figures with 21 points.
The Difference
It would be fair to point to the rebound differential (minus-8) but instead, look at bench production tonight. Agnew, who hit the big shot for Southeast Missouri, outscored the Austin Peay reserves by himself and spearheaded a Redhawk second unit that outscored Austin Peay's 25-10.
Notably
- The loss is Austin Peay's first against Southeast Missouri since 2017 and its first in the Show Me Center since 2015.
- Woodard finished with a career-high five steals, the most in a single game by a Gov since Jan. 6, 2020 (Eli Abaev at Tennessee Tech).
- Austin Peay posted season highs in free-throws made (22), attempted (24) and percentage (91.7 percent).
- Southeast Missouri also set opponent highs for free-throws made (21) and attempted (33) this season, with Austin Peay whistled for a season-high 24 fouls.
- After having five foul-outs prior to the previous 21 games, three Govs—Woodard, Gee and Elton Walker—fouled out against Southeast Missouri.
- This is Austin Peay's first loss this season when scoring 80 or more points.
- Taylor set season marks by a Gov in free-throws made (12) and attempted (14), in addition to equaling his team season-high with 17 rebounds.
- The Govs dropped to 0-3 this season on Tuesdays.
- Walker equaled his career high with four steals.
- With 27 points off 21 Southeast Missouri turnovers, the Govs have reached 20-plus points off opponent miscues in three straight games and are averaging 20.4 points off turnover in their last eight games.
- The Govs have also hassled 26 consecutive opponents into double-digit turnovers.
- Taylor passed Taveion Hollingsworth of Western Kentucky once again for the active starts lead with 122 in a row.
- After two late to help secure overtime, Paez has hit 29 straight free-throws dating back to Jan. 2.
- Barring another meeting in the OVC Tournament, Taylor will finish his Austin Peay career averaging 23.1 points on 53.2 percent from the floor and 78.4 percent from the line, with 11.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 blocks in eight games against the Redhawks.
- Peake is now at 63.3 percent (57-for-90) from the floor over his last 14 games.
- Gee's 21 points were a career high during his Austin Peay career and his third 20-point showing this season. He also scored his 200th career point in an Austin Peay uniform.
- Milestone Watch—Career: Taylor took over the top spot on Austin Peay's career field goals attempted list, now standing alone with 1,724. He also moved past Chris Horton (2012-16) for fourth all-time in made free throws at 398 on the same night he took over for Horton as the school's all-time leader in offensive rebounds.
- Milestone Watch—OVC: Taylor passed Ricky Minard for fourth all-time in scoring with 2,407 points.
They Said It
Up Next for the Govs
Austin Peay will return to the Dunn Center for the final two home dates of the 2020-21 season, beginning with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against SIU Edwardsville, Thursday.
