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HomeSportsAPSU Govs Basketball takes on Eastern Kentucky at Dunn Center, Thursday

APSU Govs Basketball takes on Eastern Kentucky at Dunn Center, Thursday

Austin Peay vs. Eastern Kentucky

Thursday, January 25th, 2018 | 7:30pm CT
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center

APSU Men's BasketballClarksville, TN – After its first road trip of Ohio Valley Conference play, Austin Peay’s men’s basketball team returns home for a brief two-game homestand, beginning with a 7:30pm, Thursday, January 25th, 2018 contest against Eastern Kentucky.

Austin Peay Men's Basketball hosts Eastern Kentucky Colonels Thursday night at the Dunn Center. Tip off is at 7:30pm. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Men’s Basketball hosts Eastern Kentucky Colonels Thursday night at the Dunn Center. Tip off is at 7:30pm. (APSU Sports Information)

The Governors (10-10, 5-3 OVC) completed their four-game road with a 1-3 record, concluding with an 83-59 loss at OVC-leading Belmont, Saturday.

Austin Peay returns to the Dunn Center where it is unbeaten in OVC play (4-0) and is 9-2 overall this season.

Thursday’s game also will mark the halfway point in the 2017-18 OVC regular-season race, the Governors sit tied for fourth place as the midpoint arrives, just two games out of first place. They will face an Eastern Kentucky squad that is 2-6 this season and tied for 10th place, but has posted its two league wins on the road.

About the Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Eastern Kentucky ColonelsEastern Kentucky brings a 2-6 OVC mark into the Dunn Center with its lone wins coming during its last road trip – a 78-70 win at UT Martin, January 11th, followed by a 91-86 victory at Southeast Missouri, January 13th. The Colonels are in a three-team tie for 10th place, just one game out of the Top 8 in the standings.

Eastern Kentucky is not a team you want to put on the free-throw line as their 75.8 free-throw percentage leads the league and ranks 42nd nationally. However, EKU has struggled shooting the ball in 2017-18, making just 42.2 percent of their field goals. The Colonels shooting woes have deepened in conference play, falling to 40.6 percent of field goals made.

Individually, junior forward Nick Mayo has led the Colonels charge in scoring (15.9 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg), assists (2.6 apg) and blocked shots (1.4 bpg) while posting four double-doubles this season.

Last Time Out Against Eastern Kentucky

Zach Glotta hit a three with 5.3 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and the Govs held off their hosts for an 83-81 win against Eastern Kentucky in Richmond. Glotta’s fourth three of the night forced the extra session, but it was Kenny Jones who shined in overtime, scoring eight of APSU’s 12 points in OT as part of a 23-point, 14-rebound effort.

Jones led the way on the glass as part of a plus-nine (38-29) rebounding advantage.

Notably

APSU Men's Basketball - Terry TaylorThe Govs went 1-3 during their recent four-game road in which all four contests were against teams currently ahead or tied with them in the OVC standings. Picked 11th in the OVC’s preseason poll, the Govs are tied for fourth place in the league race, which hits its midway mark with Thursday’s contests.

Austin Peay’s defensive improvement (-14.4 ppg) from 2016-17 to 2017-18 is ranked second only behind Central Michigan’s (-18.5 ppg). The Govs permitted 83.8 ppg a year ago and only 69.4 ppg this season.

Research pegs freshman Terry Taylor (15.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg) as one of three freshmen in the nation leading his team in scoring and rebounding.

APSU Men's Basketball - Averyl UgbaTaylor (8.6 rpg) and senior Averyl Ugba (7.4 rpg) are the only set of teammates among the OVC’s Top 10 in rebounding, ranking second and 10th, respectively. 

In the eight OVC contests, the Taylor-Ugba pairing has boosted its rebounding averages, Taylor leading the OVC with 9.9 rebounds per game while Ugba ranks third (8.6 rpg).

Freshman Terry Taylor and senior Averyl Ugba are the only Govs teammates since at least the 1990-00 season to record double-doubles in the same game three or more times.

This is the 114th meeting in a series that dates back to 1964; the Govs own a 61-52 advantage.EKU has won four of the last five, although APSU topped the Colonels in OT last season.

Eastern Kentucky lost both games of its recent two-game homestand, falling narrowly to Tennessee Tech (67-70) and Jacksonville State (60-68).

The Colonels are 4-9 on the road this season, but have won their last two road outings.

Following Thursday’s contest, Austin Peay will face another squad that is 2-6 in OVC play when Morehead State comes calling for a 7:00pm, Saturday tipoff.

Follow APSU Govs 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

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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