Fort Myers, FL – Led by a defense that surrendered just one field goal in the final eight minutes of regulation and freshman Zyree Collins’ second-straight 20-point night, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) basketball team earned an 82-71 victory against Florida Gulf Coast, Thursday, at Alico Arena.
Collins, who matched his career-high with 25 points, six rebounds, and a trio of three-pointers, helped the Governors (9-5, 3-0 ASUN) extend their ASUN-best winning streak to five games, while also securing the program’s first win against the Eagles in Ft. Myers.
Collins was followed in the scoring column by Tate McCubbin and Anton Brookshire, who scored 15 and 12, respectively. Brookshire scored Austin Peay’s final six points of the night, all coming in the final 47 seconds and on as many attempts from the free throw line.
Florida Gulf Coast (7-9, 1-2 ASUN) scored the first four points of the night after holding APSU to a trio of misses from the field in the opening 1:38. Eleven of APSU’s first 12 shots of the night came from three-point range, with the Govs rebounding from a slow start after splitting eight attempts from distance in a four-minute span to lead 13-9 with 14:08 to play after Matt Enright’s second three of the contest.
A 10-4 FGCU run midway through the half gave the Eagles a three-point lead midway through the period, but a Collins layup and McCubbin three-pointer sparked a six-minute, 15-3 run for the Govs, who shot 6-for-9 from the floor during the span in which Collins hit two three-pointers in as many trips down the court.
With under a minute remaining in the half, a Collin Parker three-pointer was answered by an FGCU triple and after a Collins’ three-point play for the final scoring of the period, giving APSU a 42-33 lead at the break.
Collins led all scorers with 12 points through the opening 20 minutes. Collectively, the Govs shot 48.4% (15-31) from the field and 47.4% (9-19) from distance, while holding the Eagles to just a trio of makes on 11 attempts from three.
The Eagles quickly erased APSU’s first-half advantage after coming out on a 12-1 run, sparking a back-and-forth battle, with FGCU holding onto a 57-56 lead with 10:15 showing on the clock.
That, however, would be the final time the Eagles led.
Collin Parker regained the advantage in favor of the Govs, and a pair of Collins free throws quickly extended the lead back to two scores. With eight minutes to play and the lead back down to two, McCubbin knocked down a pair of threes and Collins again went perfect from the line. Austin Peay maintained no less than a seven-point lead across the final six-plus minutes, with Brookshire’s first of six-straight free throws ending a three-minute scoring drought by both teams with 47 seconds to play.
Brookshire singlehandedly outscored FGCU – 6-4 – in the final minute, helping APSU to its 11-point road win.
The Difference
Late Defense. Prior to making just one of its final 10 attempts, FGCU was shooting 54.3% from the floor; that percentage dropped to 46.4% in the final eight minutes.
Box Score Bullets
Austin Peay State University improved to 3-0 in ASUN Conference play. It is the Governors’ best start to ASUN play since joining the league prior to the 2022-23 season, and is the program’s best start to a conference schedule since starting the 2019-20 OVC season 10-0.
Austin Peay State University extended its league-best winning streak to five games. That streak is tied for the longest winning streak for the Governors under head coach Corey Gipson (2/3/24-2/17/24).
The Governors’ five-game winnings streak also is tied for the program’s longest since the 10-0 start to the aforementioned 2019-20 OVC season.
With the win, Austin Peay State University improved to 4-2 all-time against Florida Gulf Coast and 1-2 against the Eagles in Fort Myers.
Zyree Collins led APSU in scoring for the fourth time this season, while tying his career-high with 25 points.
Zyree Collins is the first Austin Peay State University freshman with back-to-back 20-point games since Tate McCubbin last season (31, at Bellarmine 2/18/25; 25, at Queens, 2/20/25).
With his 25 points – and APSU holding FGCU’s freshman Jordan Ellerbee to 16 – Zyree Collins now leads all ASUN freshman with 14.4 points per game.
The Governors are one of three teams in the ASUN – West Georgia and Queens being the others – with a perfect 3-0 record in league play. The APSU Govs also are tied with UWG for a league-best three road wins.
Tate McCubbin, Zyree Collins, Matt Enright, Rashaud Marshall, and Collin Parker improved to 4-0 on the season, with tonight being the third-straight time the group has started.
Follow the APSU Govs
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Next Up For APSU Men’s Basketball
The Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team concludes its two-game road swing with a Saturday 1:00pm CT game against Stetson at the Edmunds Center in DeLand, Florida.
