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HomeSportsAustin Peay Governors Basketball face Liberty Flames in ESPN Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters

Austin Peay Governors Basketball face Liberty Flames in ESPN Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters

Austin Peay Governors vs. Liberty

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013 | 3:00pm (CT)
Lynchburg, VA | Vines Center

Austin Peay State University GovernorsClarksville, TN – Austin Peay will head to Lynchburg, VA, 3:00pm, Saturday, for its final game as a participant in the ESPN BracketBusters.

The Governors will play Liberty at the Vines Center in this ESPN Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters.

Austin Peay Men's Basketball
Austin Peay Men’s Basketball

APSU will be challenged with finding motivation after losing to Eastern Kentucky, Wednesday night, and with that loss being eliminated from Ohio Valley Conference tournament play. That and a long bus ride could be factors in preparation.

Meanwhile, Liberty enters the contest with a 9-19 record, 5-9 in the Big South. The Flames have lost three of their last four, including a 102-101 decision to Longwood earlier this week.

The Governors already have lost to two Big South members, Gardner-Webb and High Point, this season. The Flames are 0-3 against the duo (0-2 vs. High Point, 0-1 Gardner-Webb).

The Flames are paced by John Caleb Sanders, who was home schooled in Texas. In fact, the junior guard played his prep basketball as part of the Homeschool Christian Youth Association in Spring, Texas, a program that actually originated in the early 1990s.

Sanders averages 13.5 ppg for Liberty while fellow guards Davon Marshall (12,8 ppg) and Tavares Speaks (12.6 ppg), making the Flames perimeter oriented. Liberty averages 7.0 three pointers made per game.

Liberty is coached by Dale Layer, who coached against the Governors and Dave Loos in the 2000-01 season when he was at Colorado State.

Austin Peay Governors

Austin Peay State UniversityThis is Dave Loos’ 23rd season as Austin Peay head coach and he is 370-331 at APSU-the winningest basketball coach in Ohio Valley Conference history-and 452-384 all-time in his 27th season as a college head coach

APSU was picked to finish third behind Murray State and Southeast Missouri in the newly-formed OVC West Division in the preseason poll. The Govs, however, have been eliminated from OVC tourney contention with Wednesday’s loss.

This is the final trip of a four-game road trek. The Govs will end the 2012-13 season next weekend at home against Southeast Missouri and UT Martin.

This is APSU’s 10th year-the most of any OVC school-playing in the ESPN BracketBuster Series, this year known as the ESPN Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters. The Govs enter the final year of the series with a 3-6 record, still seeking their first BracketBuster road victory.

Liberty Flames

Liberty FlamesLiberty comes into the game with a 9-19 record, including 5-9 in the Big South. The Flames currently are fifth in the conference’s North Division standings.

Guard John Caleb Sanders, who was home schooled (Homeschooled Christian Youth Association in Texas), leads Liberty in scoring at 13.5 ppg while backcourt mate Davion Marshall is averaging 12.8 ppg. A third guard, Tavares Speaks, comes in at 12.6 ppg. Junior forward JR Coronado doesn’t score much (4.9 ppg) but hits the boards at 8.2 rpg.

Notes

This will be the second time APSU coach Dave Loos and Liberty head man Dale Layer have coached against each other. The Governors won a 74-72 decision against Colorado State in 2000-01 when Layer was the Rams’ coach.

The Series

This is the first meeting between Austin Peay, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, and Liberty, a member of the Big South. This is APSU’s third meeting with Big South foes this season with the Govs standing 0-2 in the previous two games. The Govs lost to Gardner-Webb, 72-62, in the Cancun Challenge and then later lost to High Point, 76-74, in the consolation contest of the Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, TN.

Media Center

Radio: Governors Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Loos
Analyst: Brad Kirtley

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