Austin Peay State University Men’s Basketball rally falls short at Tennessee State, 65-61

Nashville, TN – The Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team cut a late second-half 12-point deficit down to three with a chance to tie the game but came up just short in a 65-61 loss at Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon inside the Gentry Center.

Austin Peay State University had three score in double figures led by the duo of junior Carlos Paez and freshman Elijah Hutchins-Everett with 13 points each. Paez was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field to go along with two rebounds and three assists. The junior guard was also 2-for-2 from long distance and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line.
 
Hutchins-Everett scored 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field with six rebounds, one assist and one steal in 31 minutes of action. The Orange, NJ, native was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and knocked down one three-pointer. Rounding out the double-digit scoring for the APSU Govs was redshirt senior Tariq Silver with 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field. Silver was 2-of-8 from long distance while registering one rebound and four assists.

Off the bench APSU got a quality performance from freshman Drew Calderon with eight points. Calderon was 2-of-8 from the field to go along with four rebounds, one assist, and one rebound. Calderon’s performance was followed by senior Elton Walker with six points, Alec Woodard with five, Cameron Copeland with four, and Jalen Ware with two.

As a team Austin Peay State University shot 37.5 percent from the field and was 6-of-21 from long distance. APSU was near automatic at the free-throw line, going 13-of-16. Each team registered 30 rebounds on the afternoon with APSU earning a 13-6 advantage on the offensive glass. The Govs defense was stingy on Saturday, forcing 16 turnovers, scoring 22 points off of Tiger mistakes.

The duo of Hutchins Everett and Paez got the Govs offense going early in the first half. The two combined for 13 points during the first four minutes of the game en route to a 13-10 lead for the Govs. Austin Peay State University embarked on a 5-0 run thanks to a Drew Calderon floater and a three from Silver to extend the APSU lead to 18-11 with 12:30 remaining.

At the midway point of the first half, the two teams traded baskets before Tennessee State embarked on a 12-2 run over a three-minute span to take earn a 23-20 lead. The back and forth affair continued as the Tigers made six of their next seven field goals to hold a 29-24 lead with 6:15 remaining.

However, the Govs clawed their way back and cut their deficit down to one at 31-30 after a lay-up from Paez.

Down the stretch, it was the Govs defense that shined, holding Tennessee State scoreless from the field the final 4:58. An Alec Woodard free-throw with 58 seconds left tied the game at 31 as both teams entered the locker room.

Tennessee State was firing on all cylinders to begin the second half as the Tigers recorded back-to-back buckets in the paint to earn an early lead.

The Govs responded quickly with a 5-0 run highlighted by a wide-open three from Calderon to give APSU a 36-35 lead with 17 minutes remaining. The two teams went back and forth over the next three minutes as the Govs and Tigers were tied at 40 with 14 minutes left.

With the game tied at 40 the Austin Peay State University offense went cold as Tennessee State capitalized with a 13-2 run to grab a double-digit lead with just under seven minutes to play. Looking to mount a comeback the Govs employed the full-court press and executed to perfection forcing the Tigers to go scoreless from the field for over three minutes and force two 10-second calls.

Intensifying the defense helped the APSU Govs grind their way back into the ball game, embarking on a 9-1 run to trail by four with 1:57 remaining. During the 9-1 run, seven of the points came from the free-throw line while Hutchins-Everett had five of the nine.

The Govs trimmed its deficit down to three with 46.1 seconds left after Paez drove the basket, got fouled, and converted the three-point play. Trailing 61-58 with 46 seconds left, Tennessee State’s Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. drove down the lane and got the contested lay-up to fall to make it a two-possession game. Late in the game, Austin Peay State University was unable to mount a comeback, falling to Tennessee State on the road, 65-61.

Next Up For APSU Men’s Basketball

The Govs return to the Winfield Dunn Center on Thursday, January 22nd for an in-state showdown with Belmont. Tipoff is set for 7:00pm.

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

Box Score

Austin Peay 61, Tennessee State 65

Austin Peay Stats

Tennessee State Stats

Team Comparison