KENNESAW, Ga. – Making his first collegiate start, true freshman Kelechi Okworogwo led the Austin Peay State University men's basketball team with a career-high 11 points, but it was not enough, and the Governors fell to Kennesaw State, 84-57, in ASUN Conference action, Thursday, at the KSU Convocation Center.

Sean Durugordon also scored a team-leading 11 points and led Austin Peay (8-14, 2-7 ASUN) with eight rebounds. Okworogwo was efficient from the floor, going 5-for-8 and knocking down the lone three-pointer he attempted.

Chris Youngblood led Kennesaw State (16-6, 8-1 ASUN) with 19 points while Demond Robinson and Brandon Stroud each recorded double-doubles for the Owls.

At the 14:45 mark in the first half, Kennesaw State had jumped out to a 13-4 lead after Youngblood knocked down a three-pointer. But the Governors responded with a 14-7 run over the next 4:49 that brought the deficit to just two points when Okworogwo slammed home his first basket of the game to make it 20-18.

But the Owls had a response of their own and outscored the Govs 19-8 over the next 9:28 of the first half to build a 39-26 lead. However, Carlos Paez got the final basket of the first half when he banked in a three-quarter court heave at the first-half buzzer to bring Austin Peay back within 10 points, 39-29, at the intermission.

Trailing by 14 points 2:11 into the second period, Okworogwo connected from three-point range and Elijah Hutchins-Everett knocked down a hook shot to bring the Governors back within single digits, 45-36, with 16:46 left in the contest. But that was the closest the Govs would get, as Kennesaw State outscored Austin Peay by 18 points in the remainder of the second half to claim a sixth-straight ASUN Conference win.

The Difference 

Points in the paint. The Owls outscored Austin Peay, 40-22, in the painted area.

Notably 

• Carlos Paez dished out three assists in the contest and joined Norman Jackson, Colby Pierce, and DJ Wright as just the fourth Governors with 400 career assists.
• Kelechi Okworogwo made his first career start and scored a career-high 11 points.
• Okworogwo also blocked a shot for the third-straight game.
• Sean Durugordon scored in double-figures for the team-leading 16th time with 11 points, he also led the Govs in scoring for the team-best 10th time this season.
• Durugordon grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds and has now led the Govs on the glass in a team-best 10 games this season.
• Paez and Guy Fauntleroy each dished out a team-best three assists, it is the 13th time Paez has led the Govs in assists and the eighth time Fauntleroy has led the team in assists this season.
• Fauntleroy matched his career-high and led the team with three steals in the contest.
• Durugordon blocked a shot for the third-straight game and Cameron Copeland recorded his second-consecutive game with a blocked shot.

Up Next 

Austin Peay wraps up its quick two-game road swing when it plays a 4 p.m., Saturday contest against Jacksonville State at the Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville, Alabama. Saturday's game is the first between the Governors and Gamecocks since both programs left the Ohio Valley Conference and joined the ASUN. The Govs then return home for two games when they host Liberty, Feb. 2, on Military Appreciation Night and Queens, Feb. 4, on Austin Peay College of STEM Day.

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