APSU Sports Information
Corpus Christi, TX – Dave Loos has a simply philosophy about basketball success on the road. “You have to take your defense, rebounding and free-throw shooting,” the longtime Austin Peay State University basketball coach says.
The Governors accomplished two of three Wednesday night in the American Bank Center against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi…but they failed miserably at the third.
“We had guys miss who normally make them and I think it just got into our head—it’s a mental thing,” Loos said. “It can snowball and it did tonight.
“But in addition to that, we turned it over 18 times. It just was not a good game for us.”
The Governors almost were as bad from the floor (35 percent/19 of 55) as they were at the free throw line. They converted just 8 of 28 second-half shots (29 percent). That is where the Islanders gained footing against APSU. They shot 52 percent (11 of 21) from the field, with guard Brandon Pye scoring of his team-high 16 points, in the second half as they used an 11-0 second-half run to gain a 43-33 lead.
And on a night that saw the Govs struggling to buy a basket, it might as well have been a 20-point deficit.
“But you have to give them credit defensively—they got after us pretty good,” Loos said. “In the first half we kind of settled. After that, we kind of found our way but we just couldn’t make a shot.”
The Govs’ lone bright spot—and only double-figure scorer—was Chris Horton. The nation’s fourth-leading rebounder (12.9 rpg) finished with 14 while scoring 18 points. The senior center went 8-of-14 from the floor, meaning the rest of the Govs went only 11-of-41 (27 percent). But Horton, who fought himself some at the free-throw line against Samford, finished only 2-of-9 at the line as those struggles continued.
In the first half, the game simply was ugly. The Govs shot 41 percent (11 of 27)—with zero three pointers (they had just two on the night)–and that was still better than the Islanders’ 33 percent (9 of 27). Both teams committed 10 turnovers. The Govs’ saving grace was Horton, who had 11 points (4 of 5 from the floor) while grabbing seven rebounds.
Thomas, the reigning Southland Player of the Week, struggled to a 2-of-9 first-half performance. His frustration spilled over when he fouled Horton after the Govs center stripped him of the basketball inside.  But Thomas finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks—two in the second half that extended the Governors drought. Bryce Douvier, the burly 6-7, 235-pound forward, added 15 points.
