Austin Peay (9-12 | 2-14 ASUN) at Florida Gulf Coast (16-14 | 6-11 ASUN)
Friday, February 24th, 2023 | 6:00pm CT
Fort Myers, FL | Alico Arena
Clarksville, TN – Looking to pick up its first ASUN Conference season sweep, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s basketball team travels to Florida Gulf Coast for a Friday rematch in its 2023 season finale at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida. The game beings at 6:00pm.
The Governors beat the Eagles, 61-59, on January 5th to pick up their first-ever ASUN win and now have a chance to make FGCU the first team they have beaten twice in ASUN play.
The Austin Peay State University fell to Stetson, 76-51, on Wednesday and dropped to 2-13 away from the Winfield Dunn Center this season. On the other side, Florida Gulf Coast is 7-5 at home this season, despite falling to Lipscomb, 73-64, in Alico Arena, Wednesday.
At 3-14 in conference play, the Governors cannot qualify for the ASUN Tournament.
However, Florida Gulf Coast is 6-11 in ASUN play and is currently tied with Jacksonville – a team it has beaten twice this season – for the final spot in the ASUN Conference Tournament.
Friday’s game at Florida Gulf Coast will be streamed on ESPN+.
About the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
KenPom.com rates Florida Gulf Coast as the 190th-best team in the NCAA and the fifth-best team in the ASUN Conference with a -1.26 adjusted efficiency margin.
Per KenPom, the Eagles rank seventh in the ASUN in offense and defense, scoring 105.7 points per 100 possessions and allowing 106.9 points per 100 possessions — they rank 168th and 218th in the NCAA, respectively, in those categories.
FGCU ranks eighth in the ASUN and 251st in the NCAA in tempo, per KenPom, with 66.3 possessions per 40 minutes.
FGCU ranks fourth in the ASUN in scoring defense, allowing 69.7 points per game.
The Eagles rank 26th in the NCAA in threes attempted per game (25.7) and 30th in threes made per game (9.1) — they rank fifth and fourth in the ASUN, respectively.
Thompson ranks 39th in the NCAA and fifth in the ASUN with 78 made threes, he ranks 37th nationally and fourth in the conference with 208 threes attempted.
Zach Anderson ranks fourth in the ASUN in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and leads the league with six double-double performances.
Series History and Lasting Meeting
A series that dates back to 2007, Austin Peay leads the all-time series, 2-0; however, this is the first-ever meeting in Fort Myers, Florida.
The Governors beat Florida Gulf Coast, 61-59, on January 5th at the Winfield Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tennessee. Sean Durugordon, Carlos Paez, and Rodrique Massenat each scored 10 points for the Govs in their first-ever ASUN Conference win.
In the first-ever meeting between the Austin Peay State University and Florida Gulf Coast, the Govs beat the Eagles, 67-57, at the South Padre Island Invitational on November 23rd, 2007. Drake Reed led the APSU Govs with 21 points and eight rebounds while Kyle Duncan added 13 points and six boards. DJ Wright also added five steals and six assists for Austin Peay State University in the win.
APSU Notably
Austin Peay State University’s defense ranks third in the ASUN Conference in three-point defense (.333), steals per game (7.1), and turnovers forced per game (13.7) — the APSU Govs rank 105th in the NCAA in steals per game and 106th in turnovers forced per game.
The Governors rank fourth in the ASUN and 58th in the NCAA in turnover margin (+1.9).
The APSU Govs rank seventh in the ASUN in free throws made per game (11.7) and sixth in free throws attempted per game (16.1).
The Govs are averaging 10.1 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the conference.
Austin Peay State University is rated as the 326th-best team in the country on KenPom.com. Austin Peay scores 96.5 points per 100 possessions and allows 110.2 points per 100 possessions, which gives it a -13.72 adjusted efficiency margin.
Per KenPom, APSU ranks 11th in the ASUN and 313th in the country in tempo with an adjusted tempo rating of 64.8 possessions per 40 minutes.
Austin Peay State University has used 16 different starting lineups this season, which is second most in the NCAA behind Coppin State, who has used 22 different starting lineup combinations.
The APSU Govs used their 16th different starting five last time out against Stetson; they have used a different starting five in each of the last four games and in nine of the last 11 contests.
Austin Peay State University is making its second trip to the State of Florida, where it is 2-2 this season. In the Governors’ first trip to the 27th State, they beat South Florida and Albany before falling to Bucknell in the Ocean Bracket Championship of the Greenlight Sunshine Slam.
APSU Govs Online
For up-to-date news and information on Austin Peay State University Athletics, check back at LetsGoPeay.com or follow along on Facebook. To keep up with the APSU men’s basketball team, follow along on Twitter and Instagram (@GovsMBB). Live stats will be available during all home games and select road games at PeayStats.com.
In addition, all Austin Peay State University home games, ASUN games, and select road games will be broadcast on ESPN+ this season, visit the APSU men’s basketball schedule at LetsGoPeay.com for a complete broadcast schedule.
Next Up For APSU Men’s Basketball
The Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team turns its attention towards the 2023-24 season, which will be the inaugural season for the Governors at F&M Bank Arena.
