ATHENS, Ohio – Austin Peay State University's basketball team outscored Ohio by seven in the second half but was unable to erase an early deficit and fell to the Bobcats 78-58, Wednesday, at the Convocation Center.

Sai Witt led Austin Peay in scoring (4-7) with 21 points – his second-straight 20-point performance – while Tate McCubbin followed him in scoring with a career-best 11 points and a team-best five rebounds.

Ohio led 20-5 through the opening seven minutes after connecting on five three-pointers to begin the game before layups by Quan Lax and JaVar Daniel cut the Bobcats' advantage to 11 with 11:30 remaining. A pair of OU jumpers were answered by Anton Brookshire's second three-pointer of the opening 12 minutes, to trim the Bobcats' advantage to 24-13. 

Sai Witt scored five-straight Austin Peay points, but the Bobcats responded with a quartet of free throws and its seventh three-pointer of the half.

Darius Dawson corralled his own miss and laid it in for his first make of the evening, but the second-chance layup was the Govs' final points of the opening 20 minutes, as the Bobcats scored 11 unanswered points to lead 49-22 entering the break. 

Terrell Gaines and Witt scored APSU's first 11 points of the second half, as Gaines answered a Bobcats' three-pointer with his first-carer triple, which was answered by a Witt layup.

McCubbin hit a pair of threes midway through the second period, with the later triple trimming the Govs' deficit to 22 points with 9:59 remaining. The Govs' next seven points came from the charity stripe, as APSU scored nine-straight points between 4:57-0:54, but ultimately fell to the Bobcats 78-58.

Up Next

The Governors return to the Volunteer State for a 2 p.m., Saturday game against Vanderbilt in Nashville. The outing against the Commodores is APSU's penultimate game of nonconference play, as it then turns its attention to a 4 p.m., Dec. 29 game against Brescia in F&M Bank Arena.

Box Score Bullets

• Austin Peay fell to 2-4 all-time against Ohio and 1-2 against the Bobcats in Athens, Ohio.
• 1-1 all-time in Athens
• Sai Witt led Austin Peay in scoring for the second-straight game with 21 points. Witt's point total is the Govs' eighth 20-point game of the season.
• Tate McCubbin scored in double figures for the second time this season and first since scoring 10 points at ETSU on Nov. 30.
• Tate McCubbin led the Govs in rebounds for the second time this season with five boards. 
• Terrell Gaines played a career-best 20 minutes and scored a career-best six points, which included his career's first three-pointer.
• The Governors used their ninth different starting five of the season with Sai Witt, Isaac Haney, Akili Evans, Anton Brookshire, and Quan Lax taking the court first for Austin Peay.
• Quan Lax extended his team-best starting streak to 11 games against Ohio.

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.