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HomeSports2017-18 Top-10 - No. 9: APSU Basketball hosts Bethel at Fort Campbell

2017-18 Top-10 – No. 9: APSU Basketball hosts Bethel at Fort Campbell

APSU Sports Information

APSU Men's BasketballClarksville, TN – Austin Peay men’s basketball put forth a unique event in November, just ahead of Thanksgiving, when the Govs hosted Bethel.

That of itself was unique as it was the first meeting between the two schools since 1969, but the site—at Fort Campbell’s Shaw Physical Fitness Center—made the game much more than just a game.

Austin Peay Men's Basketball defeats Bethel 90-58 at Fort Campbell's Shaw Physical Fitness Center. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Men’s Basketball defeats Bethel 90-58 at Fort Campbell’s Shaw Physical Fitness Center. (APSU Sports Information)

It became an opportunity for Austin Peay to show off not only its new face on the sidelines in head coach Matt Figger, who injected the program with a blend of ferocity and feverish intensity, but also to say ‘Thank you’ and pay homage to the men and women serving our country.

The entire day was an experience. In addition to the first collegiate basketball contest every played at Fort Campbell, the hosts pulled out all the stops, complete with a weapons and gear installation outside the building and the 101st Air Assault Division Band, which sat in with the Austin Peay pep band during the game.

A lively crowd was treated to a fast-paced game, which saw the Govs convert 20 second-half turnovers by Bethel into 23 points, many coming in transition and leading to dunks that showcased the freakish athleticism up and down the Austin Peay roster.

Following the 90-58 win, Col. Derek Thomson, the brigade commander, was highly complementary of the event.

“This meant the world to us,” Col. Thomson said. “Athletic competition goes hand-in-glove with military combat. We point to athletic competition as a way to hone our fighting edge, and that’s what makes this relationship so strong; we see what Coach Figger is doing with his team and we feed off their aggression. This partnership is great for our soldiers to see this kind of competition live and it feeds that fighting spirit.”

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