BOONE, N.C. – Austin Peay State University's basketball team fell to Appalachian State 78-58 in the final game of the team's extended road trip, Sunday, at the Holmes Convocation Center.

DeMarcus Sharp and Ja'Monta Black combined for 27 points in the second half; however, the Governors (3-4) were unable to overcome a 20-point halftime deficit and best a Mountaineers' offense that shot over 50 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the charity stripe during Sunday's outing.

Sharp scored the Govs' first four points of the afternoon while a Daniel Loos putback dunk gave APSU a 6-4 lead under four minutes into the contest. 

Appalachian State (4-2) answered Loos' score with a five-minute, 10-0 run to take a 14-6 lead following 10-straight APSU misses from the field. Dezi Jones ended the Govs' scoring drought with a driving layup and Austin Peay went on to cut its deficit to five at 24-21 with 6:19 remaining in the half following a Jones' three-pointer and Sharp floater.

A Dez White three-pointer with 5:11 remaining was the final score by the Govs in the opening frame, as the Mountaineers ended the half on a 15-0 run after nine-straight missed shots by the Govs to take a 44-24 advantage into the break.

App State shot 55.6 percent from the field (15-of-27) in the opening 20 minutes, while holding the Govs to 27 percent on a 10-for-37 clip.  

Sharp again led the Govs out of the gate in the second half, scoring APSU's first two baskets as it trimmed the deficit to 16.

Sharp would go on to lead the Govs with 16 second-half points, making eight of his 15 attempts while also tallying a pair of assists and steals in 20 minutes of action. 

The Charleston, Missouri native went on to make three of his first four shots of the second half, with the later trimming App State's lead to 19 with 13:10 remaining following a quartet of Mountaineers' missed attempts.

Austin Peay made five of its last seven shots, but was unable to overcome its early deficit and dropped the 20-point road decision to Appalachian State.

Up Next

The longest road trip in program history has come to a close, the Governors now look ahead to four-straight games back in the Volunteer State, including three at home during that stretch. The Govs will host Morehead State in a 7 p.m., Wednesday game on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.

The Difference

Austin Peay trailed by only five points with 5:11 remaining in the first half, but a 15-0 App State run to end the break proved to be the difference in Sunday's outing as the Govs were unable to cut their deficit back to single digits following the run.

Inside the Box Score

• Austin Peay fell to App State in the first meeting between the two teams.
• The Govs fell to 3-3 against first-time opponents this season.
• Austin Peay also dropped to 0-3 in road games.
• DeMarcus Sharp led the Governors in scoring for the sixth time this season. His 22-points marked his third 20-point performance of the first seven games of the season and is the seventh 20-point outing by a Gov throughout the 2023-24 season.
• Sharp's five assists are tied for the fifth-most by a Gov this season. He now has five of the top six assist-totals in a single game this season.
• After scoring 33 points in the Govs' most recent game against Sacramento State, Sharp is the first Gov since Sean Durugordon last season to score 20 points in back-to-back games.
• Austin Peay extended its program-record streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer to 673.

Follow The Govs On Social

For news and updates throughout the Governors inaugural season in F&M Bank Arena, follow the men's basketball team on X and Instagram (@GovsMBB), on Facebook (Austin Peay Men's