CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – After 33 days since its last home game, Austin Peay State University's basketball team returns to Clarksville for a 4 p.m., Saturday contest against Southern Illinois on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.

Fans are encouraged to wear white as the Governors and Salukis face one in the Winter White Out Game.

Austin Peay (4-5) went 1-5 in its extended road trip, with its win coming in a 62-50, Nov. 26 victory against Georgia State in the 2024 Jacksonville Classic. The Governors look to end a three-game losing streak in Saturday's affair, while Southern Illinois (4-6) has split its last four games and is coming off a 73-70 win against Southern Indiana, Saturday, in Carbondale, Illinois.

Despite being held under 10 points for the first time this season last time out, LJ Thomas paces the Atlantic Sun Conference with 18.1 points per game and is one of two Governors – Quan Lax being the other – to have started all nine games for Austin Peay this season. In addition to his point total, Thomas leads the Govs with 40 rebounds, 27 assists, and 11 steals.

After totaling just eight points in his last seven games, Darius Dawson is coming off his season's best performance in the Govs' 72-47 loss at Samford, Sunday. Dawson led Austin Peay in scoring for the first time this season with a season-best 18 points. The scoring mark surpasses a 12-point outing in the season opener against Union, Nov. 4.

In addition to Dawson's performance against the Bulldogs, Akili Evans made his season's first appearance after recovering from a lower-body injury. Evans, who also started in the contest in Birmingham, Alabama, played 35:48, scored 10 points, knocked down a team-best two three-pointers, and had four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the decision.  

A redshirt junior by way of Moberly Area Community College, Evans started 17-of-27 games for the Greyhounds during his redshirt sophomore season where he averaged 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game with 13 double-figure scoring performances and three 20-point nights.

Evans is one of two newcomers hailing from MACC, joining Tekao Carpenter, who was an NJCAA Division I Third Team All-American for the Greyhounds last season. Carpenter leads Austin Peay with 17 three-pointers this season and is averaging 21.3 minutes off the bench in nine appearances thus far. 

Following Evans' start against Samford, all nine of the Govs' newcomers have seen action through the opening nine games of the season. Led by Thomas' team-best 163 points, the group is accounting for 63.3% of the Govs' points this season. 

Saturday's tilt is the second time the Governors and Salukis have faced one another on the hardwood in as many seasons. Last season, Austin Peay escaped Carbondale with a 70-68 win against the Salukis after holding them without a field goal for the final 5:02 of the second half. Austin Peay alum Ja'Monta Black led all scorers with 22 points in the win.

Austin Peay's game against SIU will be live streamed on ESN+ with Barry Gresham and Ethan Schmidt on the call. Fans also can tune into the Governors Sports Network on ESPN Clarksville (104.1 FM / 540 AM) or via the TuneIn app to hear Brian Rives and Jeff Matthews call all the action. 

Up Next

After a brief stop at home, it's back on the road for the Governors for a pair of contests next week. Austin Peay begins the swing with a 6 p.m. (CT), Dec. 18 game against Ohio in Athens, Ohio, before facing Vanderbilt at 2 p.m., Dec. 21 in Nashville for its final nonconference road game of the regular season. 

From the Jump

• Austin Peay enters Saturday's game 4-5 after dropping three-straight games. 
• The game is Austin Peay's first at F&M Bank Arena since a 67-61 win against Chattanooga, Nov. 11.
• Austin Peay is coming off a 72-47 loss at Samford, Sunday.
• Austin Peay is 7-11 all-time against Southern Illinois, but ended a two-game losing streak to the Salukis last season during a 70-68 victory in Carbondale (12/12/23).
• The Governors are 5-2 all-time against SIU in Clarksville, with the last Volunteer State meeting between the two coming in a 72-70 APSU win during the 2013-14 season (11/19/13).
• Austin Peay has used seven different starting lineups this season, including six different starting fives in as many games. 
• LJ Thomas and Quan Lax are the lone Govs to have started every game this season.
• Anton Brookshire's four-game starting streak is the second-longest on the team.
• Tekao Carpenter has been a part of APSU's first substitution in 8-of-9 games this season, including in five-straight games. 
• Head coach Corey Gipson is 23-21 in his second season at the helm of his alma mater. Gipson is 45-32 in his head coaching career following a 22-11 season at Northwestern State in 2022-23.
• Austin Peay is 4-0 this season when it shoots better from the field, 3-0 when it shoots at least 45% from the field, and 3-0 when it shoots at least 35% from three-point range. 
• Austin Peay is 2-0 this season and 14-2 since the start of last season when it had a 25-point scorer. LJ Thomas has registered both of APSU's 25-point games this season with 29 at Butler and 25 against Georgia State. 

Scouting the Salukis

• Southern Illinois is 4-6 on the season and has split its last four games.
• After parting ways with Bryan Mullins, who led SIU for five seasons, Scott Naggy is in his first season as the SIU head coach.
• Naggy is in his 30th year as a head coach, where he is 581-338 in his career.
• Kennard Davis Jr. is one of four Salukis to start all 10 games this season. He leads SIU with 14.8 points and 2.7 assists per game.
• Davis Jr. also paced the Missouri Valley Conference with 24 steals and 2.4 steals per game, which rank 18th and 31st in the NCAA, respectively.
• A 6-8 forward, Jarrett Hensley is fourth on the team with 10.6 points per game and leads the team with 70 rebounds. Each of Hensley's two double-doubles this season have come in his last two games with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Bradley in the MVC opener, and 16 points and 11 rebounds in a win against Southern Indiana. 
• Southern Illinois is 10th in the MVC in scoring offense (74.6) and scoring defense (74.5). 
• The Salukis are second in the MVC and 87th nationally with 38.6 rebounds per game. 
• Southern Illinois is 12th in the MVC with 5.9 three-pointers per game.

Follow the Govs on Social

For news and updates on all things Governors' basketball, follow the men's basketball team on X and Instagram (@GovsMBB) and Facebook (Austin Peay Men's Basketball) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.