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Hot first-half shooting leads Govs past Jacksonville State

APSU Governors LogoAustin Peay State University’s basketball team, behind 73.9 percent first-half shooting, rolled past Jacksonville State, 83-63, Monday night, in Ohio Valley Conference basketball action.

The Governors snapped a two-game losing streak in improving to 15-12 overall and 9-6 in the OVC, while Jacksonville State fell to 11-15 overall, 7-9 in the OVC.

The Govs, who never trailed in the contest, broke open a 17-14 contest with a 17-2 run for a 34-16 advantage. The Govs built as much as a 21-point first-half lead—that coming on a Wesley Channels jumper to put APSU up 45-24—before settling for a 45-27 halftime lead as Anthony Campbell scored 13 points and Wesley Channels 12.  APSU connected on 17 of 23 shots in the first half and attempted just seven three pointers, connecting on four, after attempting 24 three pointers at Tennessee State.

Anthony Campbell drives up court (Lois Jones/Austin Peay)
Anthony Campbell drives up court (Lois Jones/Austin Peay)

APSU, which frittered away a 15-point second-half lead Saturday at Tennessee State, never permitted Jacksonville State to get closer than 13 in the second half, the last time at 52-39, with 13:12 remaining.  Layups by Caleb Brown, Ernest Fields and Marcel Williams—his becoming a three-point play—pushed the advantage out to 20, 59-39, with 12:02 remaining.  Jacksonville never got closer than 18 the game’s remainder.

Campbell led the Governors with 15 points while Channels added 12. Tyrone Caldwell, who didn’t miss a shot (3-3 field goals, 4-4 free throws) added 11 points as did fellow point guard Caleb Brown.

In fact, the Governors bench, which scored just nine points at Tennessee State, had 31 Monday night, led by Brown.

Dominique Shellman and John Barnes paced Jacksonville State with 13 points. OVC scoring leader Trenton Marshall battled through a difficult night, connecting on just 1-of-10 from the floor for three points. OVC Player of the Week Nick Murphy scored 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting while being held to just three rebounds.

JSU shot just 35.3 percent (24 of 68) compared to 59.6 percent (31 of 52) for the Govs.  APSU out-rebounded the Gamecocks, 38-33 as Govs center John Fraley, who had 18 rebounds at Tennessee State, had nine more Monday night in just 23 minutes.

The victory assured the Govs no worse than a .500 finish in the OVC race for a 17thstraight season.

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