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HomeSportsAustin Peay Men's Basketball returns home to play Lipscomb Bisons

Austin Peay Men’s Basketball returns home to play Lipscomb Bisons

Lipscomb vs. Austin Peay Governors

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012 | 7:00pm
Dave Aaron Arena/Dave Loos Court | Clarksville, TN

Austin Peay State University GovernorsClarksville, TN – After suffering through a turnover-plagued two-game losing streak, Austin Peay looks to bounce back when it plays host to Lipscomb, 7:00pm, Tuesday in Dave Aaron Arena.

Austin Peay Men's Basketball. (Courtesy: Brittney Sparn/APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Men’s Basketball. (Courtesy: Brittney Sparn/APSU Sports Information)

The Governors have shot 50 percent from the floor in the last two games-and better than 58 percent from three-point range-but it has been a multitude of turnovers that have led APSU to its undoing.

The Governors committed 28 turnovers apiece in losses at Memphis and Arkansas State. As a result, they are ranked 334th out of 345 teams in turnovers per game at 18.7 tpg. However, visiting Lipscomb has struggled even more so with turnovers, averaging 19.3 tpg, putting the Bisons at 340th in that category.

Offensively, junior guard Travis Betran continues to be the focal point. The Harlem, NY, native scored 21 points against Arkansas State, making it two straight 20-point outings. He now is eighth nationally in three-point field goal percentage at 50.9 percent.

Meanwhile, center Chris Horton picked up his fifth OVC Freshman of the Week honor with his 10-point, 13-rebound effort against Arkansas State while Anthony Campbell bounced back from a single-digit scoring performance at Memphis with 14 points against ASU.

Fastbreak

  • After playing back-to-back road games, APSU will play its final home game of 2012 against Lipscomb.
  • Austin Peay enters the game seeking to snap a two-game losing streak after losing 69-57 at Arkansas State, Sunday.
  • This is the second of five straight road games for Lipscomb, including a pair of Atlantic Sun contests in Florida to open league play.
  • This is Lipscomb’s sixth and final game this season against OVC opposition. The Bisons are 2-3 vs. the OVC.
  • Lipscomb was picked to finish eight in the Atlantic Sun preseason poll.
  • Lipscomb’s top two leading scorer are a pair of Clarksville natives, Martin (12.7 ppg) and Malcolm (11.4 ppg) Smith, from Clarksville Academy. The Bisons other double-figure scorer is guard Deonte Alexander (10.3 ppg).
  • As much as the Govs had trouble handling the basketball so far this season (18.7 tpg), Lipscomb actually has been worse, turning it over at 19.3 per game clip.
  • Scott Sanderson is now in his 14th season as Bisons head coach after taking over for the legendary Don Meyer. Sanderson is seeking his 250th career victory against the Govs and his 215th as Lipscomb coach.
  • Sanderson is the son of former Alabama and UALR coach Wimp Sanderson.

What You Should Know

The Series: This is the 70th meeting between Austin Peay, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, and Lipscomb, a member of the Atlantic Sun. The Governors own a 40-29 lead in the series. When the two teams met November 2010, it was the first meeting between the two former Volunteer State Athletic Association members since the 1961-62 season, when both were member of the VSAC. APSU is 0-3 since the series was resumed, including a 67-59 defeat in Nashville a year ago.

Deeper Meanings

What A Win Would Mean: The Govs would move to one game under the .500 mark at 5-6…they would go to 2-3 in December…the Govs would go to 4-1 at home during the season…they would go to 41-29 all-time against Lipscomb…it would be head coach Dave Loos’ first win against Lipscomb coach Scott Sanderson…it would improve Loos to 8-10 against Lipscomb…it would be APSU’s 74th win against current Atlantic Sun Conference members…it would be Loos’ 450th career victory.

What A Loss Would Mean: The Govs would drop three games below the .500 mark for the first time this year at 4-7…it would make the Govs 3-2 at home this season… the Govs would fall to 1-4 in December… it would be APSU’s fourth straight loss in the series…it would be their 69th all-time loss against current A-Sun members…it would be Dave Loos’ 317th APSU loss and 370th all-time.

5X Recipient

Chris HortonFor the first time in a decade the OVC Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Week honor has gone to the same person for five straight weeks, although he shared it this week with Tennessee Tech’s Lanerryl Johnson. That player is the Govs’ 6-8 center Chris Horton, who scored 10 points and grabbed a season high 13 rebounds against Arkansas State, Sunday.

Horton also had three steals and four blocked shots–the ninth time this season he has blocked two or more shots this season. Horton became the first OVC freshman to receive the award five straight weeks since Eastern Kentucky’s Matt Witt captured it five straight times in the 2002-03 season.

Raising His Game

Travis BetranWith his 21-point outing against Arkansas State, junior guard Travis Betran has scored 20 or more points three times this season, including his last two games. Over the last seven games, the Harlem, NY, native is averaging 19.9 ppg, shooting 53.2 percent from the floor and 54 percent from three-point range.

He was 3-of-6 from three against Arkansas State, making it seven straight games he has made three or more three pointers.

Basketball Anomaly

For the second straight game Austin Peay shot 50 percent from the floor, including better than 58 percent from three-point range. For the second straight game, the Governors lost by double digits when it fell to Arkansas State, 69-57, Sunday. Over the previous two seasons the Govs lost just six times when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor.

Turnover Troubles

The Govs have committed 28 turnovers in each of the last two games. It was the fourth time this season the Governors had 20 or more turnovers.

In fact, in the Govs last three games against Division I opponents, the Govs have committed 77 turnovers. The Governors are now ranked 334 (out of 345) in turnovers per game at 18.7.

Stats Turnover

When the opposition scores more points off turnovers than the Govs this season APSU is 1-6.

Moving On Up

After going 3-of-6 from three-point range against Arkansas State, junior guard Travis Betran is now ranked eighth nationally in three-point field goal percentage at 50.9 percent. Betran also is ranked 34th in three-point field goals per game at 2.9. Betran has connected on at least three  three-pointers in the last seven games.

Block Party

With his four credited blocked shots, Sunday, against Arkansas State, freshman center Chris Horton is now ranked 11th nationally in blocks at 3.0 bpg.

Perimeter Prowess

After going 7 of 12 (58.3 percent) from three point range against Arkansas State, the Govs are now 13 of 20 (65 percent) from three-point range over the last two games. As a result, APSU has moved up to 13th nationally in three point percentage at 40.3 percent.

Benched

Austin Peay’s bench was held to just three points–a late Cory Arentsen three pointer–in the loss to Arkansas State.

Media Coverage

Radio: Governors Radio Network
Play-by-Play Greg Walker
Analyst David Loos
Statistics Patrick Miller
WVRY 105.1-FM, letsgopeay.com

Television: Peay Nation Broadcasting
Play-by-Play Barry Gresham
Analyst Thomas O’Boyle

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