RICHMOND, Ky. –  Despite cutting its deficit to two with 2:19 remaining, Austin Peay State University's basketball team was unable to complete a late comeback against Eastern Kentucky and fell 69-59 in Atlantic Sun Conference action, Saturday, at Baptist Health Arena. 

DeMarcus Sharp led Austin Peay (8-9, 1-1 ASUN) with 22 points and was followed in scoring by Dezi Jones (17) and Isaac Haney (13). Sharp's six rebounds also paced the Govs for the 10th time this season.

Sharp scored the Governors' first six points of the afternoon with all three of his scores coming from the mid-range. His final score trimmed EKU's lead to 11-6 six minutes into the contest and was followed by an Isaac Haney driving layup to make it a three-point game on the Govs' next possession following back-to-back missed free throws by the Colonels' Isaiah Cozart. 

A 20-11 EKU advantage was answered by five-straight points by the Govs, as a Dezi Jones three-pointer and fastbreak dunk by Hansel Enmanuel brought the game within four.

Easter Kentucky maintained a two-score lead until Haney made his first three-pointer of the night to trim the deficit to 30-27 with 4:21 remaining. 

The Colonels scored the game's only two points over the next four minutes, with APSU ending its four-minute scoring drought with 43 seconds remaining on a jumper by Sharp in the paint. 

Sharp's score was answered by an EKU dunk and free throw over the final 20 seconds, as the Colonels led 35-29 after the opening 20 minutes. 

Sharp led all scorers with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field in the first half, while the Govs combined to shoot 13-of-31 (.419) as a team.

A Sharp step-back jumper followed by a Haney three-pointer brought the Govs within one within the first 40 seconds of the final period, but was answered by a 3:18, 9-0 EKU run to extend the game to 10.

After facing its largest deficit of the night, APSU made three of its next four attempts from the field with Jones connecting on a pair of shots from beyond the arc in that hot-spell.

The Govs' next seven points came from the line, with Sharp, Haney, and Jones making a pair and Daniel Loos splitting trip to the charity stripe.

Haney capped off the Govs' free-throw streak in converting each of his attempts on the one-and-one opportunity to bring APSU within three at 52-49 with 7:13 remaining in regulation. 

The Colonels scored on their next possession with a pair of makes from the charity stripe and maintained their two-score advantage until a steal by Dez White led to Sharp's 10th score of the game. An EKU driving layup, followed by a loose-ball turnover allowed the Colonels to regain and extend the lead, as they held the Govs to just two points over the final two minutes of play and secured the 69-59 victory on their home court.

The Difference

DeMarcus Sharp, Dezi Jones, and Isaac Haney combined for 52 of APSU's 59 points and also combined for 20-41 from the field. Outside of the trio, APSU was held to seven points on 2-for-16 from the field.

Inside the Box Score

• Austin Peay lost its third-straight game to the Colonels, but still leads the all-time series, 64-57.
• The Governors fell to 23-33 all-time against EKU in Richmond.
• Austin Peay fell to 0-2 all-time against EKU in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
• DeMarcus Sharp led Austin Peay in scoring and rebounding both for the 10th time this season.
• The Govs' two three-pointers allowed are their fewest against a Division I opponent this season and tied for their lowest of any game, matching a mark set against Fisk, Nov. 14.
• The Govs turned the ball over just eight times, marking the sixth time in the last seven games they have turned it over fewer than 10 times. 
• Isaac Haney scored 13 points for the second-straight game and now has scored at least 10 in three of his five appearances as a Gov.
• Dezi Jones has scored in double figures in eight-straight games, the longest active streak on the team.
• With Dezi Jones' three-pointer at the 9:39 mark of the first half, he extended Austin Peay's program-record streak of consecutive three-pointers to 683 games.

Up Next

Austin Peay returns to the Volunteer State and closes a four-game road trip with a 4 p.m., Jan. 13 game against Lipscomb at Allen Arena in Nashville.