Edinburg, TX – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) basketball team was held to a season-low field-goal and three-point percentage, as the Governors dropped a 63-50 decision to UTRGV, Sunday, at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
For the first time this season, Rashaud Marshall led Austin Peay (4-5) in scoring with 19 points, with the Blytheville, Arkansas native also pacing the team in rebounds for the third-straight contest with eight – four of which came on the offensive glass.
Defensively, freshman Zyree Collins tallied a season-high six steals – the second-most by a Gov this season. Nearly half of Austin Peay State University’s points came off turnovers, with the Governors scoring 24 points off 20 UTRGV (3-5) turnovers.
After UTRGV scored the first five points of the game, Austin Peay State University responded with a 12-4 run to take its first lead of the night six and a half minutes into the contest. The Governors then added onto their scoring stretch, with Tate McCubbin scoring nine-straight APSU points in an 11-2 run which put the Govs up 23-13 entering the under-eight media timeout.
Marshall scored his 12th point of the night on a layup with 4:10 remaining in the period to extend the APSU lead to seven, but it was APSU’s final field goal of the period, as it missed five-straight attempts and the Vaqueros finished the half on a 15-3 run to lead 31-30 through 20 minutes.
UTRGV held APSU without a basket for the first 2:45 of the second half, extending its advantage to eight, but a McCubbin three-pointer sparked an eight-minute, 16-4 run for the Govs, who regained a four-point lead midway through the second half.
After a Collin Parker two-pointer with 9:43 to play, Austin Peay was held to just 1-for-11 from the field for the remainder of the contest, as UTRGV went 7-for-19 and ended the game on a 21-4 run to defeat APSU.
The Difference
Bench scoring. Austin Peay State University’s bench was outscored 16-0, with its rotation players shooting a combined 0-4 from the field.
Box Score Bullets
Austin Peay State University fell to 5-5 all-time against UTRGV and 1-5 against the Vaqueros in Edinburg, Texas.
The Governors were held to a season-low 50 points in the defeat.
Austin Peay State University’s 32.6 field-goal percentage (18-57) and 13.3 three-point percentage (2-15) also were season lows.
Rashaud Marshall led Austin Peay State University in scoring for the first time this season, with his 19 points being the second-most of his career, trailing only a 23-point outing at Kent State last time out.
Marshall’s five-straight games in double figures is the longest active streak on the team.
Zyree Collins’ six steals are the most by a Gov since Matt Enright had seven in the season opener against Bryan, November 3rd.
Tate McCubbin’s three steals are tied for the second-most of his career and trail only his four steals against Air Force, November 8th.
Austin Peay State University forced 20 turnovers for the third time this season, with its 24 points off turnovers also being its third-most this season.With Tate McCubbin’s three-pointers at the 12:04 mark of the first half, Austin Peay State University extended its streak of consecutive games with a triple to 743 – a streak that began February 23rd, 2002.
Coaches Corner
With Austin Peay Head Basketball Coach Corey Gipson
Opening Statement… “I want to give credit to UTRGV and their staff. Their young men played their hearts out. I thought that they had a tremendous gameplan and they stuck to it. I do not want to discredit them in any way in how they approached the game. We knew they were coming into the game with desperation. They have played several road games just like we have. They had a chance to get home-court advantage, and what you have to do to get that is win at home. They were more deserving in the outcome they received in this game. I told their coach [Kahil Fennell], that they did a phenomenal job and that their guys really rallied in having a game at home and that their fans were great throughout the whole game and had great intensity and great energy.”
On What He Learned From The Game… “We know who we are whether it is a road game or a home game. We are a team that has to play inside out. But, while playing that way, we have to be totally bought into it and understand what it takes to play that way. We still have some growing to do in learning how to take advantage of mismatches, learning how to make sure that we hit the mark and make the mark of where we are trying to make the basketball. We will get it, we have made some progress in it. We are having too many turnovers trying to get the ball inside when all it takes is a dribble, finding the correct angle and the right communication. But we will get it because, one thing about it, we are not going to change the way that we are playing. [We are] going to play through the strength of our team.”
Looking Ahead… “We have to make sure, as a program, whether someone views us online, on ESPN+, or in-person, we have to continue to have a product that, anyone who supports The Peay is proud of. We have to make sure that anyone that views The Peay – even if they are not a supporter of The Peay – that, when they watch The Peay, they say ‘man, that is a program that always leaves it on the floor. That is what it is about. I am not in the business of telling someone how they should feel or what they should do. You always want people around you that are unconditional. Life is all about unconditional love. We preach that to our guys, to be unconditional. Right now, we have to continue to make sure we keep our identity in who we are; but, we have to grow in our identity. We are blessed to have the frontcourt that we have. We have to make sure that we continue to utilize it the right way and make the right reads. We have a great collection of young men that we brought in. We still feel the same way about them as we did before the season started. I am still as elated about coaching this group as I was before the season started. This is still one of my favorite groups to coach because we have some coachable young men. We have to make sure we understand time and scoring in games and what we are looking for in the middle-eight, which is the last four minutes of the first half, and the first four minutes of the second half, and how we have to play in those moments. And then, down the stretch and late in games, what it takes to close games We still have to learn that.”
Follow the APSU Govs
For news and updates throughout of the 2025-26 basketball season, follow the Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team on X and Instagram (@GovsMBB) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.
Next Up For APSU Men’s Basketball
The Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team returns to Clarksville for its third home game of the season when it hosts East Tennessee State for a Friday 7:00pm game on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.
