Austin Peay State University Men’s Basketball go cold shooting in 98-79 loss at Southeast Missouri

Cape Girardeau, MO – Despite four Govs scoring in double figures the Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s basketball team was unable to overcome a slow start and cold shooting from the free-throw line in a 98-79 loss to Southeast Missouri on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams went to the free-throw line early and often inside the Show Me Center on Saturday as APSU and SEMO combined for 74 free-throw attempts. Austin Peay State University was 22-of-38 (.579) from the charity stripe while Southeast Missouri went 29-of-36 with 20 of its 36 attempts coming in the second half.
 
Despite the free-throw shooting woes the Govs had four score in double figures led by redshirt freshman Caleb Stone-Carrawell with 18 points. Stone-Carrawell was 8-of-15 from the field to go along with four rebounds, two assists, and three steals. It’s the third straight game Stone-Carrawell has scored in double figures and the ninth time this season.

The duo of Cameron Copeland and Tariq Silver each scored 11 points with Silver knocking down two three-pointers. Silver was 3-of-8 from the field while Copeland was 4-of-7 from the field with three rebounds and two assists. Rounding out the double-digit scoring was junior Carlos Paez with 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field. Paez was also a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and has now made 15 straight free-throws.

Freshman Elijah Hutchins-Everett nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Hutchins-Everett was just 2-of-8 from the field and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line. The Orange, NJ, native scored all eight of his points in the second half.

Off the bench, Austin Peay State University got a solid contribution from Elton Walker with seven points and three rebounds. Walker was 3-of-6 from the field with all three of his rebounds coming on the offensive glass. Walker also had a team-high three steals in 19 minutes.

As a team, APSU shot 42.6 percent from the field and was 5-of-21 from behind the three-point line. The Govs narrowly outrebounded SEMO, 34-33, and held an impressive 14-6 advantage on the offensive glass. Austin Peay State University won the turnover battle as well, forcing SEMO to commit 19 turnovers and scoring 17 points off of Redhawk mistakes.

Once again, the Govs got off to a slow start as SEMO made its first four field goals with three field goals from long distance to take an 11-2 lead just four minutes into the game.  The SEMO offense continued to roll, opening up its lead to double digits at the 14:13 mark thanks to making six of its first eight field goals.

The lone bright spot early for the Govs was senior Elton Walker who scored five of the first eight points for the Govs off the bench. Walker paced APSU early as the Govs trailed 22-8 with 11:49 remaining in the first half. Austin Peay cut its deficit down to 14 at the halfway point of the first half before SEMO knocked down back-to-back threes to widen its lead.

Down the stretch in the first half, the Govs trimmed their deficit down to single digits as Stone-Carrawell ignited the Austin Peay State University offense. Four straight points from Stone-Carrawell cut the SEMO lead down to 40-31 with 39 seconds left before the Redhawks hit a pair of free throws right before the end of the half to take a 42-31 heading into the locker room. The Govs defense was dominant late in the first half, holding SEMO scoreless from the field the final 4:09.

It was a much different start for the APSU Govs in the second half, embarking on a 6-0 run at the 17:40 mark to trail 45-39. Carlos Paez was the catalyst for the Govs run, scoring four of the six points during the run. The Redhawks widened their lead to double-digits before APSU made seven straight field goals to trail 59-52 with 13:54 remaining.

That was as close as the Govs got in the second half as Austin Peay State University went scoreless from the field for nearly six minutes as Southeast Missouri extended its lead to 74-56 with 8:30 left. APSU looked to build momentum late in the second half after back-to-back threes from Silver and Copeland but SEMO countered with back-to-back threes of its own to earn an 82-66 advantage with 5:14 remaining.

Austin Peay State University was unable to mount a comeback late in the contest as Southeast Missouri made five of its next seven field goals to cruise to a 98-79 victory on its home floor.

Next Up For APSU Men’s Basketball

The Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team returns home for two straight beginning on Thursday, January 6th against SIU Edwardsville. APSU then hosts Morehead State on Saturday, January 8th.

Follow The APSU Govs

For all the latest information on Austin Peay Athletics, please visit letsgopeay.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Govs on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Box Score

Austin Peay 79, Southeast Missouri 98

Austin Peay Stats

Southeast Missouri Stats

Team Comparison