Austin Peay (14-10 | 10-8 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (3-22 | 3-15 OVC)
Thursday, February 25th, 2021 | 7:30pm CT
Cookeville, TN | Eblen Center
Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s basketball team will travel to Cookeville for the regular season’s penultimate contest against Tennessee Tech, February 25th, slated for a 7:30pm tipoff from the Eblen Center.
This contest kicks off the final weekend of regular season action around the Ohio Valley Conference and finds the Governors tied with Murray State in fifth at 10-8 in league play.
The Govs are a game-and-a-half behind Jacksonville State in fourth, and will face the Gamecocks Saturday to conclude the regular season; they will need to sweep the weekend to overcome the Gamecocks, and need Murray State to both beat the Gamecocks on Thursday and lose to Tennessee Tech on Saturday to avoid a tie with the Racers (who hold the tiebreaker) and overtake the Gamecocks for the fourth seed.
About the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
Last time the Govs and Golden Eagles got together, Jr. Clay and Damaria Franklin scored 51 of Tennessee Tech’s 69 points; this has been a fairly consistent theme this season for the Golden Eagles, as that duo, along with Keishawn Davidson account for well over half of Tennessee Tech’s nightly output.
In the second season under John Pelphrey, the Golden Eagles are continuing what has become a deep rebuild for a program that only has one season with 15-plus wins since 2014. Eight Golden Eagles are freshmen or sophomores with an eye on building a long-term contender in lieu of short-term success.
Austin Peay will have to guard against a three-point onslaught from Tennessee Tech; the Golden Eagles hit 7.5 per night, albeit at a less-than-ideal 31.2 percent clip. In the first game, they hit eight at a 36.4 percent mark and gave the Govs a handful. Running the Golden Eagles off the arc and into the paint-patrolling defense of Mike Peake and Terry Taylor would be to the Governors advantage, particularly since Tennessee Tech managed just 22 points in the paint in the first meeting.
Last Time Against Tennessee Tech
Taylor paced five Governors in double figures on a night when Austin Peay State University needed every point it could come by to hold off Tennessee Tech, 72-69, January 21st. Austin Peay State University hit its first five three-point attempts and 11 of its first 14 shots from the floor to race out to a 27-5 lead on the Golden Eagles.
But the APSU Govs, shorthanded at the time due to COVID-19 Coronavirus protocols, saw its depth tested time and again in the second half but ultimately withstood the Golden Eagles despite a scoring drought over the final 2:41 of regulation.
Keep An Eye On
A win…
- … would mark APSU’s first four-game winning streak against Tennessee Tech since 2007-09.
- … would be APSU’s third straight road win against the Golden Eagles, its first three-game streak in the Eblen Center since a five-game streak from 1994-98.
- … would be APSU’s first season sweep of Tennessee Tech since 2009
- … would give APSU 15 wins on the season for the fourth year in a row and fifth time in the last six seasons.
Carlos Paez has hit 33 straight free throws since January 2nd.
The Govs have forced at least 10 turnovers in 28 consecutive games.
- The Govs are plus-28 in turnover margin over the last seven outings.
- The Govs are posting 19.5 points per game off turnover over the last 10 games.
Since January 30th, the Govs are hitting 81.7 percent (156-for-191) as a team at the free-throw line.
Peake remains steady from the floor this season, hitting 62.9 percent (66-for-105) over his last 16 games.
Sophomore Alec Woodard is hitting 45.8 percent (11-for-24) from deep over his last eight games.
Milestone Watch—Career: Terry Taylor needs six three-pointers to tie Travis Betran (2012-14) for 10th all-time with 159 and six three-point attempts to tie Anthony Davis (2001-05) for 10th all-time with 447. With three blocked shots, he would pass John Fraley (2008-11) for fourth all-time. And with his next start, he will tie Drake Reed for most in program history with 125.
Milestone Watch—OVC: Taylor needs 31 points to pass Murray State’s Jeff Martin (1985-89) for sole possession of third all-time in the league scoring lead.
APSU Govs in the time of COVID-19
For the 2020-21 season, Austin Peay State University athletics will allow approximately 35 percent capacity in the Dunn Center for home basketball events. There will be no lower bowl seating for fans during the season. The lower level will be limited to players, coaches, and game-day support staff only. Seats will be assigned to create a buffer between groups to ensure social distancing is maintained.
Students seating will be located in sections AA-BB for both men’s and women’s games. Masks or facial coverings are required to enter the Dunn Center. They must remain in place at all times unless eating or drinking. Failure to comply with any of these measures, by fans or media, could result in immediate expulsion from the arena.
In the time of COVID-19 Coronavirus, there is always a chance a game will not come to fruition or something else will pop up first. Be sure to monitor LetsGoPeay.com and follow @AustinPeayMBB on Twitter for the latest updates.
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APSU Govs Online
Check back at LetsGoPeay.com and on Austin Peay State University’s Official Athletics Facebook page often for up-to-date news about all Governor athletics, as well as the APSU Governor men’s basketball Twitter page (@AustinPeayMBB). Live stats will be available during the game at PeayStats.com, and all home games and Ohio Valley Conference games can be viewed on the ESPN+ app.
