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HomeSportsAPSU Men's Basketball plays Bethel at Fort Campbell's Shaw Fitness Center, Wednesday

APSU Men’s Basketball plays Bethel at Fort Campbell’s Shaw Fitness Center, Wednesday

Austin Peay vs. Bethel

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017 | 3:00pm CT
Fort Campbell, KY | Shaw Physical Fitness Center

APSU Men's BasketballClarksville, TN – In conjunction with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell Garrison and Fort Campbell’s MWR (Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation) Division, Austin Peay State University men’s basketball will host Bethel (Tennessee) in a 3:00pm, Wednesday, November 22nd contest at Shaw Physical Fitness Center on the Fort Campbell Military Installation.

Austin Peay Governors Basketball to take on Bethel at Fort Campbell's Shaw Physical Fitness Center Wednesday afternoon at 3:00pm CT. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Governors Basketball to take on Bethel at Fort Campbell’s Shaw Physical Fitness Center Wednesday afternoon at 3:00pm CT. (APSU Sports Information)

This historic partnership not only provides Fort Campbell its first opportunity to host a regulation collegiate basketball contest, it serves as the Governors final pre-Thanksgiving tune-up before resuming the challenging schedule set before them in head coach Matt Figger‘s first season.

Admission for the contest is free to the general public and all Fort Campbell military members and their families, with seating at Shaw Fitness Center limited to roughly 1,400 spectators.

Led by adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Week Terry Taylor, the Govs knocked off Oakland City and narrowly missed besting Big South favorite UNC Asheville last week. As the season progresses, a number of freshmen are stepping into big roles, including Taylor, Dayton Gumm (second-leading scorer, three straight games in double figures) and Richard Henderson (shooting 66.7 percent from the floor after four games).

Scouting Bethel

Austin Peay will get a reprieve from the high-level opponent shooting that has been its bane in the early part of the season; the Governors, who are allowing opponents to shoot at 50.2 percent from the floor, should benefit from Bethel’s 39.9 percent team mark.

The Wildcats are third in the NAIA Division I in offensive rebounds per game (17.6) and fifth in total steals (85). 2016-17 first-team All-SSAC performer Isaac Edmondson–who prepped at nearby Creekwood High School in Dickson–leads the Wildcats at 18.8 ppg.

Last Time Out Against the Wildcats

Via archived copies of The All-State (thanks, Woodward Library Digital Collection!), LetsGoPeay.com has ascertained that the Govs defeated Bethel 98-97 in a December 1, 1969 contest. Joe Murray drew a foul as Bethel attempted to set up a last-second shot, hitting his free-throw to win it for the Govs. Howard Wright’s 30 points led the way for Austin Peay.

Keep An Eye On

TAYLOR TOP DOG
Freshman Terry Taylor averaged 15.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg to earn the November 20th OVC Freshman of the Week honor, piecing together back-to-back double-doubles in his first two regular-season home appearances. He was one of five Govs in double figures in Austin Peay’s home-opening 109-50 thumping of Oakland City, teaming with senior Averyl Ugba to become the first APSU teammates with a double-double in the same game since January 21st, 2017.

Against UNC Asheville, Taylor put the Govs on his back during the late stages of the game, carrying Austin Peay into overtime. His layup with 5.7 seconds left in regulation sent the Govs into overtime, and was part of his game-high 29-point, 10-rebound performance, making him the first Gov since Chris Horton (February 14th-16th, 2013) with back-to-back double-double outings as a freshman.

The contest at Fort Campbell will be the Governors first home game away from the Dunn Center since it was built in 1975.

TURNING AROUND
In home contests against Oakland City and UNC Asheville, the Govs posted back-to-back turnover differentials of plus-10 or more and 25 or more points off turnover; at no point did the Govs have two back-to-back contests of that nature in 2016-17. 

With Dayton Gumm (twice) and Taylor (twice) leading the Govs in scoring during the season’s opening four contests, it marks the first time since at least the turn of the century a freshman has led Austin Peay in scoring in three or more consecutive games.

Fort Campbell-Bound

For all things related to the contest at Fort Campbell—maps to the visitor centers, FAQ’s and best practices—visit www.letsgopeay.com/FortCampbell

Follow APSU Men’s Basketball Online

Check back at LetsGoPeay.com and on Austin Peay’s Official Athletics Facebook page often for up-to-date news about all Governor athletics, as well as the Governor men’s basketball Twitter page (@AustinPeayMBB).

Live stats will be available during the game at PeayStats.com, and all home games and Ohio Valley Conference games can be viewed on www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com; sadly, we are without those capabilities for this contest against Bethel. Postgame video interviews and other videos from around APSU Athletics can be found on our YouTube page (www.youtube.com/letsgopeay).

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