JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Less than two seconds to play. Austin Peay trails 76-75. Ja'Corey Robinson sends up a Hail Mary from over 60 feet away. The ball gets batted down by Rashaud Marshall and a trio of Ospreys right into the hands of Anton Brookshire, who throws it up in the waning tenths of seconds remaining. Ballgame. Govs win. And what a win it was.

Trailing by as many as 16 points late in the first half, Austin Peay State University's basketball team mounted its largest comeback since the 2024-25 Atlantic Sun Conference opener – also against the Ospreys – to defeat North Florida in thrilling fashion, Thursday, at UNF Arena.

Marshall had the best night of his career with 27 points, 14 rebounds, seven offensive boards, and 13 free throws – all of which are career highs for the junior from Blytheville, Arkansas. Collin Parker followed Marshall in both scoring and rebounds with 16 and seven, respectively, while pacing Austin Peay (20-6, 14-1 ASUN) with five assists. Freshman Zyree Collins had seven steals against the Ospreys (6-22, 4-11 ASUN), which are tied for the most of any player in the ASUN Conference this season, matching fellow teammate Matt Enright's seven in the season opener, Nov. 3.

The first 13 scores of Thursday's matchup resulted in either a lead change or tie, until a Parker layup was answered by five-straight Ospreys' points, as they led 17-13 with under 12 minutes remaining in the opening period. Parker's second basket of the night later cut the Govs' deficit to two, but a 10-0 UNF run made it a 29-17 lead just five and a half minutes later. The Ospreys went on to extend their advantage to as many as 16 points with 1:08 to play in the first half, and held a 43-29 lead heading into the break.

Austin Peay's 29 first-half points are their second-fewest of any half in ASUN play this season, as it shot just 28.1% from the field (9-of-32) and 20% from distance (2-of-10) in the opening 20 minutes, while UNF collectively went 15-of-33 from the field and outscored the Governors 24-14 in the painted area alone.

It was not until five minutes into the second half that the Governors trimmed their deficit under double figures; however, a Marshall layup early in the half sparked a six-minute, 17-4 run for APSU who tied the game for the since there was 14:22 remaining in the first half. During its six-minute streak, Austin Peay held UNF 0-for-3 from the field with five turnovers, while the Ospreys split just half of their eight free throw attempts.

At the midway point of the half, a Robinson old-fashioned three-point play gave the Govs their first lead in over 16 minutes of game action, while a Parker basket extended the APSU to three. On its next trip down the court, UNF responded with a three-pointer to tie the game at 57 and went on to lead by four with 7:32 to play.

Battling back and forth for the better part of seven minutes, a Marshall dunk tied both sides at 75 with 19 seconds to play. After a UNF turnover with less than two seconds to play, an APSU administrative technical foul for excessive timeouts sent North Florida to the line for two attempts.

The Ospreys missed the first, but connected on the second to retake the lead with 1.9 to play.

After the made technical free throw, Austin Peay took the ball side out of bounds in line with the free throw circle and Robinson threw the ball like Chris Parson air mailing a ball into the endzone at Fortera Stadium into the restricted circle where Marshall and a flock of Ospreys looked to bat it down. Well, that they did, but it fell into the waiting arms of Brookshire who threw the ball up into the cylinder for nothing but net.

With 0.6 remaining on the clock, UNF threw up a prayer of their own, but it was batted down by Marshall and Travis Torain before being corralled by Robinson.

Game set and match.

The Difference

The second half. After having one of the least-efficient first halves of its ASUN slate thus far, Austin Peay went 17-of-34 from the field, and limited UNF to just eight baskets on 23 attempts. The Governors also forced 10 UNF turnovers across the final 20 minutes, which translated into nine points, and outscored the Ospreys 30-10 in the painted area.

Box Score Bullets

• Austin Peay improved to 20-6 on the season and 14-1 in ASUN Conference play.
• The Governors secured their 17th 20-win season in program history, 13th since 1963, and first under third-year head coach Corey Gipson.
• Austin Peay's 14 ASUN wins – still with three conference games left to play – are four more than the previous record of 10 set during Gipson's inaugural season at helm in 2023-24 and are tied for the program's most conference wins since having 16 OVC wins during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns.
• Austin Peay improved to 9-3 all-time against North Florida with its seventh-straight win against the Ospreys.
• Zyree Collins' seven steals are a freshman record, tied for the most in the ASUN this season, and tied for the second-most in program history, two from tying Reggie Crenshaw's record of nine against Tennessee Tech, Feb. 14, 1998.
• Rashaud Marshall had career highs in points (27), rebounds (14), offensive rebounds (7) free throws made (13), and free throws attempted (16).
• With tonight's win, Austin Peay can clinch a share of the 2026 ASUN Conference Men's Basketball Regular-Season Championship with a victory at Jacksonville, Saturday, and if Central Arkansas loses to Florida Gulf Coast. The Bears tipoff against the Eagles at 1 p.m. (CT), while the Govs and Dolphins tipoff at 6 p.m.

Up Next

Austin Peay remains in the River City where it faces Jacksonville in a 6 p.m., Saturday contest at historic Swisher Gymnasium in Jacksonville, Florida.

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