MADRID, Spain – Led by LJ Thomas' 16 points, six Austin Peay State University basketball student-athletes reached double figures, as the Governors concluded their Spain International Tour with a 90-77 wire-to-wire victory against the Madrid Select Team, Saturday, at the Comunidad de Madrid.

Thomas was followed in scoring by double-figure scorers Akili Evans and Darius Dawson (13 points), Hansel Enmanuel and Anton Brookshire (12 points), and Quan Lax (10 points).

Evans scored seven of APSU's first 10 points – with the other points coming off a Hansel Enmanuel three-pointer, his first on as many attempts as a Gov – and the Govs jumped out to a 10-1 advantage in the opening 3:25 of the first quarter. Thomas was the next Gov to enter the scoring column, as he extended APSU's advantage to 12-3 at the midway point of the opening frame.

Back-to-back Madrid scores cut APSU's lead to five, but a Brookshire triple and Hansel Enmanuel steal and putback gave the Govs a 17-11 lead through the opening 10 minutes. 

Quan Lax's lone three-pointer extended the lead to 25-13 early in the second, but was answered by a 9-0 Madrid run to make it a one-point ballgame. Dawson then entered the scoring column to give APSU a three-point cushion and spark a 10-3 Govs run.

Dawson went on to lead all scorers in the second quarter with eight points, while Thomas sunk the final shot ahead of the break as time expired to put Red and White up 42-35 through 20 minutes.

Daniel Loos got the penultimate quarter going with a make under the basket. Evans and Enmanuel answered a Madrid three-pointer on the second score of the half, and helped APSU take a 52-42 lead.

A pair of Madrid three-pointers midway through the quarter made it a three-point game at 54-51, but another Enmanuel three, followed by Lax and Tate McCubbin scores helped the Govs take a 63-55 lead into the final frame.

Austin Peay led by as many as 12 points in the first six minutes of the fourth, with an Evans layup extending the advantage to 79-67, but after maintaining at least a six-point lead throughout the remaining four minutes, the Govs sealed the win, with the final basket coming off a layup by freshman Terrell Gaines – his first point in the Red and White. 

Takeaways

• This team got better every game.
• LJ Thomas is a menace down low. 
• There are multiple good shooters on the team – Tate McCubbin, Akili Evans, Anton Brookshire, Darius Dawson, and Hansel Enmanuel all connected on triples. 
• Hansel can make the long ball. We all know Hansel as a ferocious slasher and dominant blocker, but he knocked down a pair of triples today as well.
• Akili Evans is a triple threat. He's shown he can shoot and drive, but what has really stood out over the last few games is that he is crafty with tossing the rock.
• The team can play against bigger teams. Madrid had numerous taller players on their roster, but the Govs held their own in numerous occasions on the boards. 
• Keep an eye on Tate McCubbin. He had a quietly good three games. He has length, a good frame, and showed today especially he can go up and grab a board.

Up Next

The Governors are done with their three International Tour games but remain in Spain until Monday afternoon. In that time, they will tour more historic landmarks and do some community service.