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Instant Peay Play: Austin Peay’s Chris Horton, Tiasha Gray will be opponent focus again this Basketball Season

Instant Peay PlayClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University men’s and women’s basketball teams open up their respective season’s this week with exhibition games, but with the regular season beginning next week, opponents know they will have to prepare to stop two key APSU players.

Those two are the Governors senior center Chris Horton and the Lady Govs senior point guard Tiasha Gray, who were both selected to their respective preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference teams, and are key for success in the upcoming year.

APSU's Chris Horton and Tiasha Gray

Horton, has been a three-year starter for the Govs and is coming off a junior season were he averaged 13.1 points per game and 11.1 rebounds – becoming the first Governor to average a double-double since the 1990-91 season – a span of 24 years since Tommy Brown last accomplished that feat for the Govs.

His scoring and rebounding averages rank fifth and first among returning players in the OVC, with his rebounding average being eighth-best in the NCAA last season.

But posting a double-double isn’t something new to Horton, with the 6-8, Decatur, GA native accomplishing that in almost 40-percent of the 91 games he has played in for Austin Peay.

In fact, with his scoring and rebounding efforts, Horton should become just the second player in Austin Peay history to finish with over 1,000 points and 1,000 career rebounds – joining APSU Hall of Famer Tom Morgan, who achieved those totals back in the 1950’s.

Gray, on the other hand, only became a full-time starter last season –although she did start 21 of 29 games as a sophomore – and put together one of the best seasons in school history.

The 5-7, Clarksville native did it all for the Lady Govs leading the team in scoring (21.2 ppg), rebounding (6.1), assists (5.7) and steals (3.7) earning All-OVC First-team honors and being named the OVC Defensive Player of the Year.

Gray’s averages were also some of the best in Division I, finishing 15th in scoring, 23rd in assist and second in steals.

She was also so consistent in what she did, scoring in double figures in 28 of the 30 games, including a career-high 37 against Wright State – the most by a Lady Gov in 13 years.

Gray also had 11 20-point games and eight 30-point games. Also became the first Lady Gov to record more than one triple-double in a career.

While both Horton and Gray will be fulcrums of their respective teams and the focus of their opponent’s game planning, they can’t win games alone, but if they go out and have the senior campaigns they are capable of and get support from teammates it could be special years for not only them but their teams as well.

Horton and his Govs teammates have exhibition games November 2nd and November 5th at the Dunn Center versus Thomas More and Sewanee, while the Lady Govs host Kentucky Wesleyan on November 5th.

Both teams open the regular season on November 13th, with the Govs traveling to Vanderbilt and the Lady Govs hosting California.

Chris Austin
Chris Austinhttp://www.clarksvillesportsnetwork.com
Chris Austin is a graduate of Clarksville High School and Austin Peay State University. Chris is a former Head Softball Coach for APSU, and assistant basketball coach for CHS. Chris has worked at the Leaf-Chronicle, and WJZM News/Talk/Sports radio. Has also worked at the Sports Information Department at APSU, and has covered championship events for the Ohio Valley Conference and NCAA. Chris is an avid sports fan and can be found at most Austin Peay State University sports events.
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