Fort Myers, FL – The season came to a close for the Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s basketball with the Governors dropping an 89-71 ASUN Conference contest to Florida Gulf Coast, Friday, at Alico Arena.
Elijah Hutchins-Everett led Austin Peay (9-22, 3-15 ASUN) with 20 points, it was his team-leading fifth 20-point performance of the season. Carlos Paez added 16 points and a team-best seven assists in his final game as a Governor, with Cameron Copeland and Shon Robinson rounding out the double-figure scorers with 11 points each.
Chase Johnston and Isaiah Thompson led Florida Gulf Coast (17-14, 7-11 ASUN) with 23 and 21 points, respectively, with Johnston also grabbing a team-best 10 rebounds. Andrew Weir was the only other Eagle in double-figures with 11 points.
Florida Gulf Coast came out of the gates hot, building an 11-point lead, 21-10, at the 14:48 mark in the first quarter. Copeland nailed a fall-away jumper on the APSU Govs next possession to bring the deficit back to nine points, 21-12, with 14:27 left in the first period, but that was the last time the Governors were within single digits of FGCU.
The Eagles shot 71.0 percent (22-31) from the floor and 68.8 percent (11-16) from three-point range in the first half to build a 25-point lead, 62-37, at the intermission.
Austin Peay State University outscored Florida Gulf Coast, 34-27, in the second half with Paez leading the charge with nine second-half points, but it was not enough, and FGCU picked up an 18-point win to secure the final spot in the ASUN Conference Tournament.
The Difference
The first half. Florida Gulf Coast scored 62 points and shot 71.0 percent from the field.
APSU Notably
Austin Peay State University shot 45.2 percent from the floor and fell to 7-4 this season when it shoots better than 45 percent.
Elijah Hutchins-Everett scored in double-figures for the 18th time this season and the 39th time in his career with 20 points; it also was the eighth time he has led APSU in scoring this season.
Hutchins-Everett posted his fifth 20-point game of the season and the eighth of his career – both marks led the Govs.
Carlos Paez scored in double-figures for the 10th time this season and the 39th time in his career with 16 points.
Paez dished out seven assists to lead the Governors in assists for the team-leading 18th time this season and 68th time in his career.
Paez finished his APSU career with 428 assists, which is the fourth-most in program history.
Cameron Copeland scored in double-figures for the 14th time this season and the 27th time in his career with 11 points.
Shon Robinson scored in double-figures for the third-straight game with 11 points; it was the tenth time this season he has had double-digit points.
Jalen Ware grabbed six boards to lead the Governors on the glass, it was the fifth time this season and the seventh time in his career he has led the team in rebounding.
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.
