CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Looking to complete its first ASUN Conference season sweep, the Austin Peay State University men's basketball team travels to Central Arkansas for the first time in program history for a 3:30 p.m., Saturday contest at the Farris Center in Conway, Arkansas. 

With five games left to play, Austin Peay enters the week three games back of a three-way tie for ninth place and the final two spots in the ASUN Conference Tournament. At 2-11 in conference play, the Governors are chasing Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, and North Florida – three teams they will play in the final four games of the season – who are tied for ninth place at 5-8 and hold the ASUN's last two postseason spots.

Central Arkansas enters Saturday's contest at 3-11 in the ASUN and tied with Jacksonville State for 12th place in the conference. If the Govs can complete the season sweep of the Bears, they would tie Central Arkansas in the standings and hold the tiebreaker for a postseason spot.

UCA is just 5-6 at home this season after falling to Lipscomb, Thursday, in the Farris Center. However, the Govs are just 1-10 on the road and 2-11 away from the Winfield Dunn Center this season.

Saturday's game against Central Arkansas will be streamed on ESPN+ with Dorian Craft and Dylan McLemore on the call. Fans also can tune into the Governors Sports Network on ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM/540 AM) to hear Brian Rives and Ethan Schmidt call all the action.

Scouting the Bears

• XKenPom.com rates Central Arkansas as the 329th-best team in the NCAA and 14th in the ASUN with a -14.27 adjusted efficiency margin.
• Per KenPom, the Bears are the 13th-best offense and defense in the ASUN, scoring 99.9 points and allowing 114.2 points per 100 possessions.
• Central Arkansas plays at the 12th-fastest tempo in the country per KenPom, with an adjusted tempo rating of 72.3 possessions per 40 minutes.
• The Bears rank 15th in the NCAA and third in the ASUN in three-pointers attempted per game (26.7), they also rank 35th in the NCAA and sixth in the ASUN in threes made per game (8.9).
• Camren Hunter ranks second in the ASUN in scoring (17.0 ppg), fourth in assists (4.2 apg), fourth in steals (1.5 spg), and eighth in field-goal percentage (.412).
• Hunter had a 20-point, 12-rebound, and 11-assist outing against North Alabama, Jan. 18 -- it is the only triple-double by an ASUN player this season.
• Eddy Kayouloud ranks eighth in the ASUN in scoring (14. 9 ppg) and 13th in the league in rebounding (6.2 rpg) -- he has four double-doubles this season.

Series History and Lasting Meeting

The second meeting in a series that dates back to earlier this season, Austin Peay leads the all-time series, 1-0, and Saturday is the first-ever meeting in Conway, Arkansas.

The Govs beat the Bears, 88-62, on Jan. 7, 2023, at the Winfield Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tennessee, in the first meeting between the two. Cameron Copeland and Guy Fauntleroy led the Governors with 17 points each, with Fauntleroy also going 4-for-5 from three-point range in the contest. Sean Durugordon also posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double and Jalen Ware narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Eddy Kayouloud and Camren Hunter led Central Arkansas with 13 points each.

Notably…

• Austin Peay's defense ranks second in the ASUN Conference in three-point defense (.321), third in steals per game (7.2), and third in turnovers forced per game (14.2) -- the Govs rank 85th in the NCAA in turnovers forced.
• The Governors rank fourth in the ASUN and 52nd in the NCAA in turnover margin (+2.3).
• The Governors rank fourth in the ASUN in free throws made per game (12.0) and sixth in free throws attempted per game (16.5).
• Austin Peay is shooting 72.7 percent from the free-throw line this season, that mark ranks seventh in the ASUN Conference and 136th in the NCAA.
• Austin Peay only turns the ball over 12.0 times per contest, which ranks sixth in the ASUN Conference and 112th in the country.
• The Govs are averaging 10.0 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks seventh in the conference.
• Austin Peay has used 14 different starting lineups this season, which is tied for the second most in the NCAA. The Govs have had a different starting five in each of their last eight games.
• Austin Peay is making its first trip to the Natural State since it fell to Arkansas, 69-61, on Dec. 3, 2019, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Terry Taylor led the Govs with 20 points and six rebounds against the Razorbacks, and Carlos Paez added six points, a rebound, and an assist in the contest.
• Austin Peay is ranked 319th and Central Arkansas is ranked 322nd in the NCAA NET Rankings. The Governors and Bears are rank 13th and 14th in the ASUN, respectively, per NET.
• The Governors are rated as the 315th-best team in the country on KenPom.com. Austin Peay scores 96.9 points per 100 possessions and allows 109.4 points per 100 possessions, which gives it a -12.46 adjusted efficiency margin.

Tickets, Please

Single-game tickets are on sale for the 2022-23 men's basketball season! Fans can purchase their tickets for the final two men's basketball games in the Winfield Dunn Center online at LetsGoPeay.com/BuyTickets or by calling the Austin Peay Ticket Office at 931-221-PEAY (7329).

Govs Online

For up-to-date news and information on Austin Peay Athletics, check back at LetsGoPeay.com or follow along on Facebook. To keep up with the Governors men's basketball team, follow along on Twitter and Instagram (@GovsMBB). Live stats will be available during all home games and select road games at PeayStats.com.

In addition, all Austin Peay home games, ASUN games, and select road games will be broadcast on ESPN+ this season, visit the men's basketball schedule at LetsGoPeay.com for a complete broadcast schedule.

Up Next

With just four regular-season games left to play, Austin Peay returns home for the final two men's basketball games in the Winfield Dunn Center when they host a 7 p.m., Feb. 16 game against Jacksonville and a 3:30 p.m., Feb. 18 game against North Florida.