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 REGULAR SEASON FINALE AUSTIN PEAY (14-11, 10-9) at JACKSONVILLE STATE (16-8, 12-6) SCHEDULE FEBRUARY 27, 2021 ■ PETE MATHEWS COLISEUM ■ JACKSONVILLE, ALA. DATE OPPONENT TIME FASTBREAK Gulf Coast Showcase Ft. Myers, Fla. THE MATCHUP Nov. 25 vs. Omaha W, 72-66 • The regular season comes to an end Saturday for Nov. 26 vs. ETSU W, 67-66 Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team Nov. 27 vs. Abilene Christian L, 72-80 when the Govs travel to Jacksonville State to take on Dec. 4 Carver College W, 102-38 the Gamecocks in a 4 p.m. clash from Pete Mathews Dec. 8 at Murray State • L, 57-87 Coliseum. 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 JACKSONVILLE history with back-to-back Preseason Player of the Dec. 21 Murray State • W, 74-70 PEAY STATE Year nods. Dec. 30 at Tennessee State • W, 68-59 2020-21 RECORD 2020-21 RECORD Jan. 2 Eastern Kentucky • L, 75-80 14-11 ■ 10-9 OVC 16-8 ■ 12-6 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 25, 2021 February 25, 2021 L, 76-81 at TTU W, 87-74 vs Murray State 25 in scoring (21.8 ppg) and rebounding (11.0 rpg) Jan. 14 at UT Martin • PPD in Cookeville in Jacksonville 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 (21.9 ppg) and Jan. 21 Tennessee Tech • W, 72-69 Matt Figger Ray Harper rebounding (11.1 rpg). Jan. 23 Jacksonville State • L, 70-76 Eastern Kentucky (1995) Ky. Wesleyan (1985) • Taylor was the only Division I player in the nation to Jan. 28 Belmont • L, 76-81 76-49 ■ 4th season at APSU 96-69 ■ 5th season at JSU lead his league in scoring and rebounding, at 21.8 Jan. 30 Tennessee State • W, 71-56 ■ 76-49 4 career seasons 546-191 ■ 22 career season 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 Darian Adams He’s one of two qualified players currently averaging Feb. 6 at Morehead State • L, 74-75 (OT) ■ 21.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg, ■ 15.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, a 20-10 this season. Feb. 8 at UT Martin • L, 75-76 52.5 FG%, 81.4 FT% 3.3 apg, 77.5 FT% • Carlos Paez’s six three-pointers against Belmont, Feb. 11 UT Martin • W, 71-50 Mike Peake Jalen Finch Jan. 28, were a career-high and most by a Governor Feb. 13 Southeast Missouri • W, 78-63 ■ 10.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, ■ 11.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, in over a calendar year. Feb. 16 at Southeast Missouri • L, 81-86 (OT) 61.4 FG%, 47.1 3pt FG% 4.9 apg, 76.8 FT% • With former record-holder Charles “Bubba” Wells Feb. 18 SIUE • W, 79-57 Jordyn Adams looking on, Taylor broke his program-record for made Brandon Huffman Feb. 20 Eastern Illinois • L, 69-76 ■ 10.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg ■ 10.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, field goals with 874 during the SIUE game, Feb. 1. Feb. 25 at Tennessee Tech • L, 76-81 2.2 apg, 90.6 FT% 1.1 bpg, 59.3 FG% • 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 30th meeting between APSU • The postseason scenario is simple for the Govs; a March 3 First Round TBA and Jacksonville State dating back to 2000; the win, and a Murray State loss to Tennessee Tech, will March 4 Quarterfinals TBA Govs lead 22-7. put Austin Peay as the five-seed at next week’s Ohio March 5 Semifinals TBA Series Streak: Jacksonville State won the last meeting. Valley Conference Tournament. Any other outcomes March 6 Championship TBA Last Meeting: Jacksonville State won 76-70, Jan. 23, or scenarios feature the Govs as the No. 6 seed. • - OVC Game 2021 AUSTIN PEAY PROBABLE STARTERS TODAY’S BROADCASTS ipTV: ESPN+ Play-by-Play: Mickey Shaddix Analyst: Gerhard Mathangani RADIO • GOVS SPORTS NETWORK (104.1 FM) Play-by-Play: Brian Rives #1 #12 #21 #2 #15 Analyst: Eric Foister Carlos Reginald Terry Tai’Reon Mike Paez Gee Taylor Joseph Peake GOVS ON THE WEB Pts 8.4 Pts 9.2 Pts 21.9 Pts 6.6 Pts 10.8 LIVE STATISTCS Ast 4.4 Reb 3.0 Reb 11.1 Reb 1.3 Reb 5.2 PeayStats.com Reb 2.6 FG% 39% Stl 1.1 Ast 1.1 FG% 61% LIVE AUDIO 3FG% 40% FT% 77% FG% 53% FG% 40% FT% 74% http://player.listenlive.co/41591/ FT% 89% 3FG% 35% FT% 81% 3FG% 35% 3FG% 47% LIVE VIDEO WatchESPN LETSGOPEAY.COM /LETSGOPEAY @LETSGOPEAY @LETSGOPEAY NOTING THE GAME VS. 2020-21 OPPONENTS WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW GOVS ALL-TIME Jacksonville State is one of the few teams in the Ohio Valley Conference who can cred- Non-Conference ibly claim to have the inside presence necessary to battle Terry Taylor and the Govs on the Abilene Christian 0-2 glass. The Gamecocks, with six rotational players standing 6-6 or taller, lead the league in Carver College 1-0 rebounds per game (38.8) and boast a plus-4.8 rebounding margin; this matchup will pit ETSU 31-40 the Governors, the league’s best offensive rebounding outfit (12.6 per game, 36.2 percent) Florida A&M 0-1 against Jacksonville State’s league-high 27.6 defensive rebounds per game. And not to put too fine a point on the matter, but the victor will likely be found on the glass; the Govs are 9-3 McKendree 3-0 this season when outrebounding an opponent, while the Gamecocks are 16-3 when winning Omaha 1-0 the battle of the boards. Conference Austin Peay will need to take advantage of its superior ball-control skills to come out with a Belmont 32-20 win; the Govs plus-1.60 turnover margin mark is third in the league, while Jacksonville State’s Eastern Illinois 36-20 negative-1.88 showing is ninth; pushing any advantage, especially in transition (Austin Peay Eastern Kentucky 65-54 got 10 points against the Gamecocks on the break in the last meeting and have averaged Jacksonville State 22-7 14.1 transition points per game since Jan. 30) will help turn the game into a breakneck pace Morehead State 56-57 the Govs thrive in. Murray State 45-92 Traditionally, when the Govs and Gamecocks have met in Jacksonville the game has been SIU Edwardsville 15-4 a thriller. Last season, the Govs clawed their way out of an early 19-point deficit to rally in Southeast Missouri 43-23 the second half for a 71-67 win, thanks largely to 16 second-half points by Carlos Paez. The year before Jabari McGhee’s three-point play with 21 seconds remaining helped the Govs put Tennessee State 50-31 away the Gamecocks after the hosts had rallied from a 23-4 deficit early on. Tennessee Tech 72-75 UT Martin 78-32 DEEPER MEANINGS WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN: Would be Austin Peay’s fourth straight road win against Jacksonville State... would be Austin Peay’s first win in the regular season finale since 2017... would move the Govs to 11-4 all-time against the Gamecocks in Jacksonville... would give the Govs 15 wins on the season for the fourth year in a row and fifth time in the last six seasons. WHAT A LOSS WOULD MEAN: Would be Jacksonville State’s first-ever season sweep of the Govs... would be Austin Peay’s first loss at Jacksonville State since 2017... would give the Govs 10 losses in league play for the first time since 2015. LAST TIME VERSUS JACKSONVILLE STATE VS. 2020-21 OPPONENTS Jacksonville State hit eight of its first 11 shots from the floor to get out to a hot start, but MATT FIGGER ALL-TIME Austin Peay held the Gamecocks to eight points over the final 11 minutes of the first half to Non-Conference take a 32-28 lead into the break. However, the Govs didn’t hit a shot from the floor over the Abilene Christian 0-1 final 5:12 of the second half and Jacksonville State shot an impressive 63.3 percent from the Carver College 1-0 floor, highlighted by a 20-point, 9-for-13 showing from Brandon Huffman inside and Darian ETSU 1-0 Adams (22 points, 4-for-7 from deep) on the perimeter.