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HomeSportsAPSU Men's Basketball plays USF at Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic

APSU Men’s Basketball plays USF at Jersey Mike’s Jamaica Classic

Austin Peay (1-1) at USF (1-0)

Monday, November 12th, 2018 | 6:00pm CT
Tampa, FL | Yuengling Center

APSU Men's BasketballClarksville, TN – Going from the rapidly dropping Tennessee temperatures to sunny Florida, Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s basketball team begins the Jersey Mike’s Jamaica Classic in Tampa against USF, 6:00pm (CT), Monday, November 12th from the Yuengling Center in Tampa.

Austin Peay Men's Basketball begin Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic facing USF in Tampa, Monday. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Men’s Basketball begin Jersey Mike’s Jamaica Classic facing USF in Tampa, Monday. (APSU Sports Information)

This is the first of four contests the Govs will play in the Jamaica Classic, which runs through November 24th; the next two games will be find the Govs in Montego Bay.

It’s also the third time in program history Austin Peay will face USF.

Through two contests, much of the production has come from the dynamic duo of sophomores Terry Taylor and Dayton Gumm. Both have earned double-doubles—Gumm’s in the opener against Oakland City, Taylor’s Friday night against Mississippi State—and are combining to average 30.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.0 steals on 58.3 percent shooting.

Senior Chris Porter-Bunton might be Austin Peay’s most efficient player through the young season, needing just seven shots per game to average 11.5 points thanks to his 64.3 percent showing from the floor.

About the USF Bulls

Facing a tall task in his rebuild of a USF program that had not reached double-digits in wins since 2013-14, Brian Gregory laid the foundation in 2017-18. First, American Athletic Conference All-Rookie teamer David Collins, who averaged 10.0 points on 49.7 percent shooting and saved his best for last with a career-high 30 points in the Bulls’ 79-77 loss to Memphis in the AAC Tournament.

The little things became bigger under Gregory, attention to detail more crucial. In his first season, the Bulls shot better than 70 percent (72.3) from the line for the first time since 2011-12, and posted their fewest turnovers since 2014-15. The Bulls embraced the long ball, hitting more than 200 3-pointers for the first time since 2001-02, with 207 representing the third-most in program history.

Last Time Out Against USF

Way back when USF was a part of Conference USA, the Govs came down to visit the Bulls and were defeated, 81-63, on December 29th, 1998 despite boasting a roster featuring future APSU Hall of Famers Trenton Hassell and Nick Stapleton.

Keep An Eye On

Gumm and USF’s Laquincy Rideau are two of just 22 Division I players with 10 or more assists in a single game this season.

A win would be Austin Peay’s first-ever against an American Athletic Conference foe and the Govs first in the state of Florida since December 1st, 1982 against Bethune-Cookman.

Recent struggles aside, USF has been pretty good over the years against the Ohio Valley Conference, going 9-0 against the league all-time, including two wins against the Govs.

Gumm has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 17 games.

The Govs and Bulls are two of just nine Division I schools with multiple seven-footers on their respective rosters.

USF newcomer Ezacuras Dawson III played three minutes for Oklahoma State in the Governors contest in Stillwater last year.

APSU Govs Online

Check back at LetsGoPeay.com and on Austin Peay’s Official Athletics Facebook page often for up-to-date news about all Governor athletics, as well as the Governor men’s basketball Twitter page (@AustinPeayMBB). Live stats will be available during the game at GoUSFBulls.com, with this game available for live stream (for a fee) on USF’s official athletics website as well. Postgame video interviews and other videos from around APSU Athletics can be found on our YouTube page (www.youtube.com/letsgopeay).

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