Austin Peay State University Governors Basketball falls to Indiana State late, 61-57

APSU Sports Information

Terre Haute, IN – Shooting a season-low 35 percent from the floor, Austin Peay State University’s basketball team was unable to cease a late Indiana State rally as APSU fell, 61-57, Monday night in second-round preliminary action of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational.

Now both teams head to Vegas the for their respective final two tourney games Thursday and Friday. The Govs will play Brown, 1:00pm CT, in the Orleans Arena.

Leading 48-43 with 5:56 left after a pair of Tre’ Ivory free throws, the Govs would go just 3-of-11 (27 percent) the game’s remainder while Indiana State was 3-of-5 while also connecting 12-of-14 free-throw attempts, including their final 11. Overall, the Governors shot a season-low 22 of 63 (34.9 percent) from the floor in falling to 1-4 on the season.

“We just have to find a way to get in the ball in the basket, especially when they (Sycamores) shoot 37 free throws,” APSU coach Dave Loos said. “When the other team shoots that many free throws you simply can’t shoot 34 percent from the floor.”

APSU’s backcourt continued its early season shooting woes. Ed Dyson, who finished with a game-high 15 points, shot a respectable 6-of-14 (43 percent), but overall the Govs guards produced just 14-of-46 (31 percent).

“It’s not anything new,” Loos said. “Over the last several games we have had trouble getting the ball in the basket. Somebody has got to make a shot.”

It was the fourth straight game the offensively challenged Govs were held to less than 70 points, this time a season-low 57.

For the second straight game APSU’s inside game, which shined in the season’s first three contests, was all but neutralized by Indiana State’s physical play. Both center Chris Horton and forward Chris Freeman finished with eight points apiece, getting just 15 shots between them, only four in the opening half.

“I don’t think we are doing a great job of position in there,” Loos said. “We are allowing ourselves to get pushed off the lane. But still you have to shoot better that 34 percent if the other team is going to shoot that many free throws.”

Lost in the defeat was APSU overcame scoring just three points in the first seven minutes, falling behind by 11 minutes, but managed to tie the game 25-25 at halftime.

Twice in the second half the Govs were able to scratch out five-point advantages. Both times they had opportunities to extend the lead but their offensive inefficiency and turnovers prevented them from extending the lead.

It finally caught up with them as Indiana State guards took advantage of some Govs’ defensive miscues to score on a trio of layups that helped changed the game’s momentum, in particular over the final 5:56.

One of those guards, reserve Tre Bennett, led the Sycamores in scoring with 14 points.

“Our team played as hard as I can ask them to play,” Loos said. “We did give up three layup baskets—baskets we didn’t make them earn—because of some mental lapses on defense. But from an effort standpoint, I could not asked any more from them.”

After being out rebounding by a large number in the early going, APSU finished the night being out-boarded by only a 39-35 margin. Horton grabbed 11 rebounds while Freeman added nine and Khalil Davis seven.

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