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HomeSportsAPSU Governors Basketball gets buried by Belmont Bruins 3 pointers

APSU Governors Basketball gets buried by Belmont Bruins 3 pointers

Austin Peay Sports Information

Austin Peay State University Governors - APSUNashville, TN – Belmont connected on 10 first-half three pointers and Austin Peay State University could not recover as it fell, 76-58, Saturday night, in Ohio Valley Conference play at the Curb Event Center.

The loss was the Govs’ third straight as they fell to 8-12 overall and 1-4 in the OVC. Belmont, meanwhile, won its sixth straight game, improving to 13-6 overall and 5-0 in the OVC East.

Austin Peay Men's Basketball falls to Belmont Bruins 76-58 Saturday night. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Men’s Basketball falls to Belmont Bruins 76-58 Saturday night. (APSU Sports Information)

Belmont took control of the game early, jumping out to a 17-5 lead just six minutes into the contest, and literally never let the Governors gain any momentum.

The Govs had trouble containing 6-8 forward Nick Smith, who came into the game averaging 5.8 points while shooting 33 percent from three-point range. Smith knocked down four first-half three pointers.

But he was just part of the three-point barrage as the Bruins connected on 10 of 17 from behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes. In fact, the 30 points Belmont scored from three-point range were more than the Governors tallied total (23) in the half. It was the second straight game—and second straight road game—where the Governors scored fewer than 25 first-half points. With 10 minutes left in the game, the Govs still had only 30 points.

But the Governors turned to their young players much of the last nine minutes of the contest as APSU actually outscored the Bruins, 35-30, in the final half. Zach Glotta and Chris Porter-Bunton scored five of their eight points in the final half while fellow freshman Stephen Harris scored all six of his points.

However, senior center Chris Horton was the only Gov to reach double figures, tallying 19 points to go with 14 rebounds, three blocks and four steals. It was Horton’s 15th double-double this season.

Smith finished with 14 points to lead Belmont. Amanze Egekeze added 13. Belmont was able to win with their two leading scorers, Evan Bradds (18.1 ppg) and Craig Bradshaw (16.7 ppg) tallying only eight points between them.

But Belmont turned 20 Austin Peay turnovers into 31 points while out-rebounding the Govs 42-34. It was the second straight game the Governors were out-rebounded—after out-rebounding the opposition 15 of their previous 16 games, APSU was out-rebounded by both Nashville opponents.

In addition, the Governors shot less than 40 percent a second straight game, 34.4 percent (21 of 61).  That included an abysmal 4-of-22 (18 percent), meaning the Governors were 8-of-40 from behind the arc during the weekend.

Austin Peay Men’s Basketball hosts SIU Edwardsville Thursday, January 21st, 2016. Tip off is at 7:00pm CT.

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