CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - After opening its season with five of six contests outside Clarksville, Austin Peay State University returns to the Winfield Dunn Center for five-consecutive games in 16 days, starting Saturday when the Governors host Howard for a 2:30 p.m. CT tip-off.

The game is televised online on ESPN+ and can be heard via the Governors Sports Network, starting with Governors Gameday beginning at 2 p.m. Updates are also available on the official Austin Peay men's basketball Twitter account (@GovsMBB).

Saturday is Teacher Appreciation Day inside the Dunn Center. All single-game tickets are $5 per person.

Game 7/Howard (3-5) at Austin Peay (3-3)
Saturday, Nov. 26 - 2:30 p.m. CT
Clarksville, Tenn. - Winfield Dunn Center
TV (Internet): ESPN+
TV Talent: Barry Gresham (play-by-play), Bob Belvin (analyst)
Radio: Governors Sports Network, ESPN Clarksville 104.1 FM/540 AM
Radio Talent: Brian Rives (play-by-play), Ethan Schmidt (analyst)
Live Stats: letsgopeay.com
Twitter Updates: @GovsMBB

SERIES INFORMATION
Meeting: Second
Series Record: 1-0 (W1)
Last Meeting: Austin Peay 69, Howard 67 (Nov. 26, 2021; at Howard)
Last Austin Peay home win: N/A
Last Austin Peay road win: Austin Peay 69, Howard 67 (Nov. 26, 2021)
Last Austin Peay neutral site win: N/A
Last meeting at Austin Peay: N/A
Last meeting at Howard: Austin Peay 69, Howard 67 (Nov. 26, 2021)
Last meeting at neutral site: N/A
First meeting: Austin Peay 69, Howard 67 (Nov. 26, 2021)
Head Coach Nate James vs. Howard: 1-0

ABOUT AUSTIN PEAY

The Governors are coming off a 79-65 loss to Bucknell, Tuesday, in the Ocean Bracket championship of the Greenlight Sunshine Slam, presented by Discount Tire, in the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. Cameron Copeland scored 15 points to lead five Austin Peay players in double figures. Five Governors reached double digits for a second-consecutive day. Jalen Ware and Carlos Paez each scored 12. Ware's career-high in points came on 5-of-7 shooting and a 2-of-3 clip from beyond the arc. Paez was 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Caleb Stone-Carrawell and Sean Durugordon each pumped in 11 points. Stone-Carrawell was 4-of-8 from the floor. Durugordon grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for his first-career double-double. Ware pulled down seven boards. Paez dished out three assists. The Governors used a 16-2 spurt in a five-minute spurt, including 13-0 run in three-minute span, of the first half to turn a six-point deficit into a 26-18 advantage with 4:54 on the clock. Austin Peay shot 4-of-6 from distance in the stretch. The Governors twice led by nine points in the final 2:50 before halftime and took a 33-29 upper hand into the break on the strength of 50 percent (7-14) shooting from beyond the arc. The Bison were held scoreless for a 6:04 stretch of the first period. Bucknell put together a 17-6 spurt midway through the second half to pull away and outscored the Governors 50-32 in the period. Austin Peay finished 33.8 percent (22-of-65) from the field, 32.1 percent (9-of-28) from deep, and 70.6 percent (12-of-17) from the stripe. The Governors held edges in offensive rebounds (18-11), second chance points (13-12), bench points (26-20), and steals (7-6).

Saturday marks exactly one year since Austin Peay won at Howard, 69-67, in the only previous meeting between the schools.

After opening their season with five of six contests outside Clarksville, the Governors return to the Dunn Center for five-consecutive games in 16 days. Austin Peay has won four of its last five home games.

Saturday's game against Howard is the second-straight opponent for Austin Peay with the nickname Bison after facing Bucknell on Tuesday. The Governors host the Lipscomb Bisons, Jan. 12, before making a return trip Jan. 14.

Copeland, who scored a game-high 16 points in last season's win over Howard, tallied a career-high seven steals in the contest.

Shon Robinson was named the ASUN Conference Newcomer of the Week on Monday. He became the school's first player to garner the honor with the Governors playing their first season in the league. Robinson averaged 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over Milligan and South Florida. Against the Buffaloes, he tallied career-highs in points (27), field goals made (10), field goal attempts (16), free throws made (7), free throw attempts (13), and steals (6). Robinson posted 10 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes as the Governors defeated the Bulls and an AAC opponent for the first time in program history.

Ware was named to the Greenlight Sunshine Slam All-Tournament Team on Wednesday. In three games, Ware averaged 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. He shot 60 percent overall (9-of-15) and from distance (3-of-5).

Austin Peay is 3-1 all-time against current MEAC members and has won three-straight. The Governors defeated the Bison, 69-67, on Nov. 26, 2021; defeated South Carolina State, 92-66, in the Dunn Center on Nov. 25, 2019; defeated Delaware State, 57-51, on Nov. 25, 2005, in South Padre Island, Texas.

Austin Peay scored its first win in program history against South Florida and an American Athletic Conference opponent with a 62-60 victory at South Florida on Nov. 17. It was the first victory over a current member of the AAC since an 81-80 triumph at Memphis, then affiliated with Conference USA, on Nov. 22, 2002.

Austin Peay has recorded 17 dunks in its first six games.

Paez is one of nine players in program history to have over 300 career assists and 600 career points. He ranks eighth in Austin Peay history in assists (334) and needs three to pass Nick Stapleton for seventh place. 

The Governors have won eight-straight games when holding opponents to 60 points or less. 

Over the past five seasons, Austin Peay is 72-19 when holding a halftime lead.

Since the 2010-11 season, the Governors have compiled an overall record of 152-81 when scoring 70 or more points.

Austin Peay has made at least one 3-pointer in 643 straight games. The last time the Governors did not make a trey was on Feb. 18, 2002 against Morehead State.

Austin Peay leads the ASUN and ranks 35th nationally in turnover margin (5.0). The Governors are second in the league in free throws made per game (13.8) and third in the league and 69th in the country in turnovers forced per game (16.3).

Paez and Elijah Hutchins-Everett are tied for the ASUN lead in free throw percentage (.944).

The Governors are represented by nine states - Tennessee (Kamarie Coffey, Codey Bates, Jacob Roberts), North Carolina (Stone-Carrawell, Ware), New York (Durugordon, Kelechi Okworogwo), New Jersey (Elijah Perkins, Rodrique Massenat), Texas (Drew Caldaron), Maryland (Guy Fauntleroy), Illinois (Robinson), Alabama (Nathan Moore), and Georgia (Copeland). Paez, from Venezuela, is the team's lone international player. Austin Peay has had a player from outside of the United States on its roster every season dating back to the 2013-14 campaign.

Two Governors face a prep teammate Saturday when Austin Peay hosts Howard. Durugordon (G, R-So.) and Hutchins-Everett (C, So.) and Howard's Bryce Harris attended Putnam Science Academy (Conn.). Saturday marks the second time this season Durugordon and Hutchins-Everett have gone against a prep teammate after facing South Florida's Russel Tchewa (C, Jr.) in the Governors' 62-60 win on the road Nov. 17.

ABOUT HOWARD

The Bison are coming off a 96-73 loss to Belmont, Monday, in the Paradise Jam in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands. Elijah Hawkins and Marcus Dockery each scored 15 points. The Bison finished in sixth place in the tournament.

Howard has lost three-straight true road games and is 0-2 this season. 

The Bison lead the MEAC in fewest fouls committed per game (17.6). They lead their conference and rank 48th nationally in free throw percentage (.762). 

Steve Settle III leads the MEAC and is 41st in the country in free throw percentage (.923).

LAST MEETING

Austin Peay won at Howard, 69-67, on Nov. 26, 2021.

Hutchins-Everett scored the game-winner with 2.7 seconds left.

The Governors held a five-point lead with 1:49 remaining before the Bison rallied to tie the game with 32 seconds remaining.

Austin Peay rallied from eight points down with seven minutes remaining.

The Governors had four players score in double figures, led by Copeland's 16 points. He was 7-of-11 from the field to go along with six rebounds, two assists, and a career-high seven steals. Copeland's seven steals were two shy of the single-game school record.

Behind Copeland was Hutchins-Everett and Tariq Silver with 14 points each. Silver was 5-of-12 from the field and 4-of-9 from behind the 3-point line. Hutchins-Everett notched his second-straight double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Stone-Carrawell had 10 points.

The Governors shot 47.4 percent from the field and were 10-of-24 from 3. Austin Peay forced Howard to commit 24 turnovers and scored 21 points off Bison miscues.

TIP-INS

The two head coaches in Saturday's contest - Austin Peay's Nate James and Howard's Kenneth Blakeney - both played at Duke for Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. 

James played (1996-2001) and coached (2008-21) for the Blue Devils, winning three national championships (2001, 2010, 2015) along the way. 

Blakeney played at Duke from 1991-95 and won two national championships (1991, 1992). He was an assistant at Harvard (2007-11) under head coach and former Duke player Tommy Amaker.

James and Blakeney are two of five former Krzyzewski players (Amaker - Harvard, Johnny Dawkins - Central Florida, Chris Collins - Northwestern) currently serving as head coaches in Division I.

James coached current Howard assistant Tyler Thornton at Duke from 2010-14.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS

After Saturday, single-game tickets to any of the Governors' 13 remaining home contests in their final season in the Dunn Center start as low as $10 and can be purchased:

• in-person by visiting the SS&E office inside the Dunn Center
• online
• via email (jmitchell@ssellc.com)
• by calling 931-221-PEAY (7329)