Terry last-second layup in overtime allows Governors to prevail

APSU Men’s Basketball

Clarksville, TN – Josh Terry hit a reverse layup with 0.7 seconds in overtime off a drive and dish by TyShwan Edmondson to lift Austin Peay State University to an 86-85 Ohio Valley Conference victory, Tuesday night, in Dave Aaron Arena.

The victory improves the Govs to 8-6 overall and 4-0 in the 2010 portion of the OVC race. Morehead State slips to 6-6, 2-2 in the OVC.

Morehead State took the lead with 35 seconds left when Kenneth Faried, the preseason OVC Player of the Year, snatched Sam Goodman’s missed free throw—his 18 rebound of the night—and  slammed home the basket, giving the Eagles an 85-84 advantage.

On APSU’s ensuing possession, Terry missed a jump shot with nine seconds but the ball was knocked out of bounds by Morehead State with 5.5 seconds left. After a pair of timeouts, the ball was inbounded to Caleb Brown, who in turn passed it to Edmondson at the top of the circle. The junior drove the lane and found a cutting Terry, who caught the ball just right of the basket. The left-handed junior from Henderson, KY, continued his drive to left side of the basket, using the bucket as a shield, and spun it home for the winning bucket.

The victory came after Morehead State’s Demonte Harper appeared to snatch the contest from the Govs’ grasp in the game’s final 10 seconds. After the Govs’ Justin Blake made two free throws to give Austin Peay a 74-70 with 10 ticks left.

Harper then drilled a three-pointer with 5.2 seconds left. The Eagles immediately fouled Brown with 4.8 seconds left. Brown knocked down both free throws to give APSU a three-point. The Governors elected not to foul as Harper brought the ball the length of the court. Falling forward, he let fly with a long three pointer with 0.2 seconds left that tied the game and sent it to overtime—an NCAA-leading fifth overtime for the Governors.

The contest was close throughout, with 11 ties and 25 lead changes. In the first half neither team led by more than four points. In fact, the Eagles took a 34-30 halftime advantage when Ty Proffitt nailed a jumper at the first-half buzzer.

Morehead State scored the first bucket of the second half to go up by six and remained in front for much of the first nine minutes of the half. But then it became a seesaw affair, although the Eagles led by five, 57-52, with 7:18 remaining. From that point on there were three more ties and three more lead changes.

The Governors appeared to take control when Marcel Williams tipped in a missed shot with 1:07 left before Faried missed in close on the other end.

Caleb Brown then drove the lane and Faried goal-tended his shot with 17 seconds left to give APSU a 73-70 advantage.

Harper then made just one of a two-shot foul, forcing Morehead State to foul, first Blake and then Brown. Harper, who knocked in a game-high 34 points, including four of six from three-point range, created his late-second magic.

Faried recorded his season’s 10th double-double with 14 points and 18 rebounds as the Eagles outrebounded the Govs 38-30.

Edmondson led the Govs with 22 points while Melvin Baker recorded his second double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, including a key putback slam in overtime. Terry finished with 17 points.

The Govs shot 55.9 percent from the floor, a season-best against a Division I opponent while also committing a season-low nine turnovers against a Division I opponent.