COLBY WILSON BASKETBALL CONTACT E: [email protected] P: 615-604-3803 GOVERNORS BASKETBALL | 13-TIME OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPION | 2020 OVC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2020-21 GAME NOTES | THE UT MARTIN GAME AUSTIN PEAY (11-7, 7-5) at UT MARTIN (6-11, 4-9) SCHEDULE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 ■ ELAM CENTER ■ MARTIN, TENN. DATE OPPONENT TIME FASTBREAK Gulf Coast Showcase Ft. Myers, Fla. THE MATCHUP Nov. 25 vs. Omaha W, 72-66 • Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team Nov. 26 vs. ETSU W, 67-66 will play back-to-back games against UT Martin, Nov. 27 vs. Abilene Christian L, 72-80 beginning Monday, Feb. 8 at the Elam Center against Dec. 4 Carver College W, 102-38 the Skyhawks in a 6 p.m. affair to end a quick four- Dec. 8 at Murray State • L, 57-87 game road trip for the Govs. Dec. 14 McKendree W, 82-68 • For the second year in a row, Terry Taylor was tabbed as the Ohio Valley Conference’s Preseason Player Dec. 15 Florida A&M L, 70-76 of the Year, making him the first player in program Dec. 18 McNeese State CCLD AUSTIN UT history with back-to-back Preseason Player of the Dec. 21 Murray State • W, 74-70 PEAY MARTIN Year nods. Dec. 30 at Tennessee State • W, 68-59 2020-21 RECORD 2020-21 RECORD Jan. 2 Eastern Kentucky • L, 75-80 11-7 ■ 7-5 OVC 6-11 ■ 4-9 OVC • Taylor stands among the elite in Division I in both scoring and rebounding; he’s the only returning Jan. 7 at SIUE • PPD LAST GAME LAST GAME Division I player who was among the nation’s top- Jan. 9 at Eastern Illinois • W, 74-71 February 6, 2021 February 6, 2021 L, 74-75 (OT) at Morehead St W, 66-64 vs. Tennessee Tech 25 in scoring (21.8 ppg) and rebounding (11.0 rpg) Jan. 14 at UT Martin • PPD in Morehead in Martin a year ago and currently rates as the only player in Jan. 16 at Southeast Missouri • PPD HEAD COACH HEAD COACH Division I among the top-10 in scoring (21.7 ppg) and Jan. 21 Tennessee Tech • W, 72-69 Matt Figger Montez Robinson rebounding (10.8 rpg). Jan. 23 Jacksonville State • L, 70-76 Eastern Kentucky (1995) North Georgia (2002) • Taylor was the only Division I player in the nation to Jan. 28 Belmont • L, 76-81 73-45 ■ 4th season at APSU 6-11 ■ 1st season at UTM lead his league in scoring and rebounding, at 21.8 Jan. 30 Tennessee State • W, 71-56 ■ 73-45 4 career seasons 75-97 ■ 6 career seasons points and 11.0 boards, respectively, a year ago, a Feb. 1 at SIUE • W, 74-59 LEADERS LEADERS feat he’s presently on pace to replicate for 2020-21. Feb. 4 at Eastern Kentucky • W, 94-79 Terry Taylor Cameron Holden He’s one of three qualified players currently averaging Feb. 6 at Morehead State • L, 74-75 (OT) ■ 21.7 ppg, 10.8 rpg, ■ 14.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, a 20-10 this season. Feb. 8 at UT Martin • 6 p.m. 55.6 FG%, 78.8 FT% 1.6 spg, 72.0 FT% • Carlos Paez’s six three-pointers against Belmont, Feb. 11 UT Martin • 7:30 p.m. Jordyn Adams Jaron Williams Jan. 28, were a career-high and most by a Governor Feb. 13 Southeast Missouri • 4 p.m. ■ 11.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, ■ 11.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, in over a calendar year. Feb. 16 at Southeast Missouri • 6 p.m. 2.1 apg, 88.9 FT% 50.0 FG%, 74.3 FT% • With former record-holder Charles “Bubba” Wells Feb. 18 SIUE • 7:30 p.m. Mike Peake looking on, Taylor broke his program-record for made Kenton Eskridge Feb. 20 Eastern Illinois • 4 p.m. ■ 9.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg ■ 6.2 ppg, 3.8 apg, field goals with 874 during the SIUE game, Feb. 1. Feb. 25 at Tennessee Tech • 7:30 p.m. 59.0 FG%, 38.9 3pt FG% 1.4 spg, 79.3 FT% • Over the summer, both Jordyn Adams and Taylor put Feb. 27 at Jacksonville State • 4 p.m. their names in for consideration for the NBA Draft INSIDE THE SERIES before deciding to return to Clarksville. OVC Basketball Championship Evansville, Ind. The Series: This is the 109th meeting between APSU • Tragedy struck the Skyhawks when head coach March 3 First Round TBA and UT Martin dating back to 1935; the Govs lead Anthony Stewart suddenly passed away Nov. 15 at March 4 Quarterfinals TBA 77-31. the age of 50. In memory of Coach Stewart, UT Martin March 5 Semifinals TBA Series Streak: Austin Peay has won six straight. will leave an empty suit jacket on the first seat of the March 6 Championship TBA Last Meeting: Austin Peay won 92-81, Jan. 18, 2020 bench at all games. • - OVC Game in Martin. AUSTIN PEAY PROBABLE STARTERS TODAY’S BROADCASTS ipTV: ESPN+ Play-by-Play: Chris Brinkley RADIO • GOVS SPORTS NETWORK (104.1 FM) #1 #5 #21 #22 #15 Play-by-Play: Brian Rives Carlos Jordyn Terry Alec Mike Analyst: Barry Gresham Paez Adams Taylor Woodard Peake GOVS ON THE WEB Pts 8.6 Pts 11.4 Pts 21.7 Pts 5.7 Pts 9.7 LIVE STATISTCS Ast 4.3 Reb 2.8 Reb 10.8 Reb 2.6 Reb 4.8 PeayStats.com Reb 2.6 Stl 1.0 Ast 1.8 Stl 1.0 FG% 59% LIVE AUDIO 3FG% 45% Ast 2.1 FG% 56% Ast 1.0 FT% 68% http://player.listenlive.co/41591/ FT% 81% FT% 89% FT% 79% FT% 78% 3FG% 39% LIVE VIDEO WatchESPN LETSGOPEAY.COM /LETSGOPEAY @LETSGOPEAY @LETSGOPEAY NOTING THE GAME VS. 2020-21 OPPONENTS WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW GOVS ALL-TIME It has been a difficult season for the Skyhawks, beginning with the untimely passing of head Non-Conference coach Anthony Stewart at the age of 50 on Nov. 15. The Skyhawks have dealt not only with Abilene Christian 0-2 the loss of a beloved leader but COVID-19 testing protocols have left them without a complete Carver College 1-0 roster for the entirety of the season; between a pause in December and other protocols, only ETSU 31-40 three Skyhawks have played all 17 games for UT Martin in 2020-21. Florida A&M 0-1 The Skyhawks are young–only center Hannes Polla is a senior–and still finding their cohe- sion as a unit. Of the four Skyhawks remaining from last season’s roster, only Eman Sertovic McKendree 3-0 started more than eight games and one of the four, Ajani Kennedy, sat out due to the NCAA’s Omaha 1-0 transfer rules. This lack of experience together would lead one to believe the Skyhawks would Conference struggle in close games, but the opposite has been true; in games decided by two possessions Belmont 32-20 or less, UT Martin is 4-0 this season, including Saturday’s comeback win at Tennessee Tech. Eastern Illinois 36-19 The two players who have been most consistent for interim head coach Montez Robinson Eastern Kentucky 65-54 are a pair of newcomers. Junior forward Cameron Holden from Gulf Coast State College leads Jacksonville State 22-7 the Skyhawks in scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg) while College of Central Florida Morehead State 56-57 product Jaron Williams has come on like a freight train the last few weeks, averaging 19.8 Murray State 45-92 ppg over his last five. SIU Edwardsville 14-4 The biggest advantage for the Govs comes on the offensive glass. Headed by offensive Southeast Missouri 42-22 rebounding savant Terry Taylor, Austin Peay grabs a league-high 36.0 percent of its offensive rebounding chances, at 12.4 offensive rebounds per game; UT Martin secures just 67.6 Tennessee State 50-31 percent of its defensive rebounding opportunities, a league-low. Tennessee Tech 72-74 UT Martin 77-31 DEEPER MEANINGS WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN: Would be Austin Peay’s seventh consecutive win against UT Martin, the longest streak for either school since 2006-09 (seven for the Govs)... would give Austin Peay four straight road wins against the Skyhawks for the first time since winning six in a row from 2007-12... would keep the Govs unbeaten against the Skyhawks during head coach Matt Figger’s tenure. WHAT A LOSS WOULD MEAN: Would be Austin Peay’s first loss to UT Martin since 2017... would be the Govs first loss to the Skyhawks during head coach Matt Figger’s tenure. LAST TIME VERSUS UT MARTIN VS. 2020-21 OPPONENTS Jordyn Adams led six Govs in double figures with a 31-point outburst and Austin Peay MATT FIGGER ALL-TIME led by as many as 24 points in a 92-81 decision from the Elam Center, Jan. 18, 2020. The Non-Conference victory gave the Govs four straight road wins for the first time in over a decade and pushed Abilene Christian 0-1 Austin Peay to its first 6-0 start to OVC play since 2010-11. This was also the night Terry Taylor Carver College 1-0 moved into the top-10 in program history in career scoring, passing Trenton Hassell. Austin ETSU 1-0 Peay did its damage at the line, hitting 21-of-25 free-throws and 14-of-16 in the second half Florida A&M 0-1 to put the game away.