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HomeSportsMonster Second Half gives APSU Men's Basketball 89-72 win over Sewanee Tigers

Monster Second Half gives APSU Men’s Basketball 89-72 win over Sewanee Tigers

APSU Sports Information

APSU Men's Basketball - Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team overcame a sluggish start against Sewanee with a monster second half Friday night, pulling away late with an 89-72 victory over the Tigers.

After showcasing a balanced attack against Thomas More in the exhibition opener, Austin Peay was largely a two-man show against Sewanee, with senior Kenny Jones (25 points) and junior Josh Robinson (game-high 31) combining for nearly two-thirds of the Governors scoring output.

Austin Peay Basketball senior Kenny Jones scored 25 points Friday night against Sewanne. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Basketball senior Kenny Jones scored 25 points Friday night against Sewanne. (APSU Sports Information)

Neither Jones nor Robinson nor anyone else could really find the range early for Austin Peay. After racing out to a big lead in the exhibition opener against Thomas More, the Govs missed eight of their first 12 shots and committed seven turnovers in the first 10:20 to fall behind by 12 against Sewanee.

However, the Govs would roar back over the first half’s final nine minutes, outscoring the Tigers 26-11. Jones had 12 of his 14 first-half points during the Govs comeback, with Austin Peay taking a late lead thanks to a Zach Glotta three with nine seconds remaining in the half.

APSU Men's Basketball - Josh RobinsonThe second half would belong to Austin Peay. Robinson put up 20 in the second period alone, including three three-pointers; he added six of his game-high seven assists in the final 20 minutes.

Sewanee played the Govs close over the second half’s first four minutes before Austin Peay rolled off a 32-12 run over nearly 10 minutes to put the game away. Again Robinson and Jones did much of the damage, combining to supply 22 points during the run. As a unit, Austin Peay shot 58.8 percent (20-for-34) in the second half.

With the outside shot (7-for-19) proving less effective than it was Tuesday against Thomas More, the Governors turned their attention inside and imposed their will on Sewanee; Austin Peay outscored the visitors 48-14 in the paint.

The Difference

APSU Men's Basketball - Kenny JonesSewanee’s three-point barrage (15-for-38, only nine shots made inside the arc) was impressive, but the Govs owned the advantage in nearly every other aspect, outscoring the Tigers in the paint (48-14), off turnovers (26-9), on second chance opportunities (17-7) and on the break (14-2).

Jones (game-high nine rebounds), sophomore Jared Savage (eight) and sophomore Chris Porter-Bunton (seven) controlled the glass, having nearly as many rebounds between them (24) as Sewanee managed to total (29).

Coaching Quotables

“We did enough to win, but we didn’t do near enough to get ready for Dayton. (Sewanee) played a nice game; you have to tip your hat to them. They shot it well and we closed out with our hands low. I almost felt like we let them play HORSE and spot-shoot. A lot of people can play if you do that.” – Head Coach Dave Loos

Up Next for the Govs

Now finished with the exhibition slate, the Governors will turn their attention to the regular-season opener at Dayton, November 11th. It will be APSU’s first visit to Dayton since 2006 and the fourth meeting between the two sides dating back to 1991.

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