Austin Peay (6-8, 0-1 ASUN) at North Florida (5-7, 0-0 ASUN)
Saturday, December 31st, 2022 | 1:00pm. CT
Jacksonville, FL | UNF Arena
Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s basketball team travels to North Florida for a Saturday game in ASUN Conference action. The tip-off is set for 1:00pm CT.
The game is televised online on ESPN+. Updates are also available on the official Austin Peay men’s basketball Twitter and Instagram accounts (@GovsMBB).
Game Information
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Richard Miller (play-by-play), Nancy Miller (analyst)
Live Stats: letsgopeay.com
Twitter Updates: @GovsMBB
Instagram Updates: @GovsMBB
Series Information
Meeting: Fifth
Overall series record: 2-2 (L1)
Series record at Austin Peay: 2-0 (W2)
Series record at North Florida: 0-2 (L2)
Series record at neutral site: 0-0
Last meeting: North Florida 91, Austin Peay 84 (Dec. 11, 2021; at North Florida)
Last Austin Peay home win: Austin Peay 90, North Florida 83 (Dec. 7, 2019)
Last Austin Peay road win: N/A
Last Austin Peay neutral site win: N/A
Last meeting at Austin Peay: Austin Peay 90, North Florida 83 (Dec. 7, 2019)
Last meeting at North Florida: North Florida 91, Austin Peay 84 (Dec. 11, 2021)
Last meeting at neutral site: N/A
First meeting: Austin Peay 65, North Florida 60 (Dec. 31, 2014)
First meeting in Dunn Center: Austin Peay 65, North Florida 60 (Dec. 31, 2014)
Head Coach Nate James vs. North Florida: 0-1 (L1)
About the Austin Peay State University Governors
The Austin Peay State University Governors are coming off an 81-77 loss, Thursday, at Queens (N.C.) in the first ASUN game for each team in program history. Elijah Hutchins-Everett and Sean Durugordon combined for 44 points.
The Governors opened the affair on a 13-3 run, as Hutchins-Everett’s first of two first-half treys gave his team a 10-point advantage at the 14:24 mark. Hutchins-Everett and Durugordon scored the first 15 points for Austin Peay State University.
APSU led by double digits the final 7:12 of the first half and by as many as 16 in the period when a Kelechi Okworogwo offensive rebound and putback made the score 43-27. Austin Peay State University took a 43-29 upper hand into the break on the strength of 50 percent (17-of-34) shooting overall, a 44.4 clip (4-of-9) from deep, and a perfect 5-of-5 mark at the charity stripe.
The Royals were limited to 27.3 percent (3-of-11) from beyond the arc. Hutchins-Everett had 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Durugordon added 11 points and six rebounds. Hutchins-Everett and Durugordon tallied 12-straight points for their team during a stretch in the second half, leading to a 63-47 advantage with 10:43 to play.
However, Queens closed the game outscoring the Governors 34-14. Hutchins-Everett ended with a season-high 24 points, one shy of his career-high. He made a career-best 10 field goals on 13 attempts to go along with eight rebounds.
Durugordon pumped in 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting and a 5-of-6 mark from the line. He also hauled in nine rebounds, including a career-high six on the offensive glass.
Caleb Stone-Carrawell added 13 points and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the stripe. Cameron Copeland had nine points and four assists. Carlos Paez dished out a season-high eight assists.
Austin Peay State University shot 45.2 percent (28-of-62) overall, 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from distance, and 86.7 percent (13-of-15) from the line, including 8-of-10 in the final 20 minutes.
The Governors totaled 18 assists on 28 made baskets, held an edge in points in the paint 38-34, and turned 13 Queens miscues into 16 points.
Austin Peay and Queens are the two newcomers to the ASUN in 2022-23. For 59 seasons (1963-2022), the Governors were members of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Copeland faces his former team Saturday for the second time in his career. He spent his freshman season (2018-19) with the Ospreys and appeared in 12 games. In last season’s contest at North Florida, Copeland posted career-highs in points (25), assists (6), field goals made (10), field goal attempts (17), and 3-pointers made (5).
Hutchins-Everett (24) and Durugordon (20) each scored at least 20 points Thursday at Queens and were the first set of Austin Peay teammates to do so since Copeland (25) and Hutchins-Everett (20) at North Florida on Dec. 11, 2021.
Saturday marks the fourth of six games this season for the Governors in Florida. Austin Peay is 2-1 in The Sunshine State, having defeated South Florida, 62-60, on Nov. 17 and Albany, 74-59, on November 21st in the Greenlight Sunshine Slam Ocean Bracket semifinals in the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.
The Governors lost to Bucknell, 79-65, on November 22nd in the Greenlight Sunshine Slam Ocean Bracket championship in the Ocean Center. Austin Peay State University plays at North Florida on Saturday, at Stetson on February 22nd, and at Florida Gulf Coast on February 24th.
Paez has totaled 371 career assists and is five shy of passing Trenton Hassell (1998-2001) for fifth and 21 shy of passing Caleb Brown (2007-11) for fourth on the school’s all-time list. Against Murray State, Paez passed Greg Franklin (1989-93) for sixth in program history.
Hutchins-Everett posted his first double-double this season and seventh of his career against Murray State on December 16th after totaling game-highs in points (17) and rebounds (11).
Austin Peay State University’s 26 assists against Kentucky Christian on December 6th were the most since recording that many against Oakland City on November 6th, 2018. The 58 rebounds were the most for the Governors in the Dunn Center since recording 67 against Southern Indiana on December 8th, 1975.
The 23 offensive rebounds were the most for Austin Peay State University at home since pulling down 24 versus Eastern Kentucky on February 15th, 2020.
The 25 made free throws versus Lindsey Wilson were the most for the Governors since tallying 27 against Dayton on November 20th, 2021. The 29 free throw attempts were the most for James’ squad since attempting 38 against Southeast Missouri on January 1st, 2022.
Austin Peay State University is the only team in the nation to face the two tallest players in the country this season in Western Kentucky’s Jamarion Sharp (7-foot-5) and Purdue’s Zach Edey (7-foot-4). Including South Florida’s Russel Tchewa (7-foot-0), Bucknell’s Andre Screen (7-foot-1) and Noah Williamson (7-foot-0), Lindsey Wilson’s Lucas Ribeiro (7-foot-0), and Tennessee’s Uros Plavsic (7-foot-1), the Governors have faced seven 7-footers this year.
Drew Calderon posted career-highs in 3-pointers made (6) and attempted (11) in the Governors’ win over Kentucky Christian.
Copeland has scored in double figures in six of the last 10 games, including three of 15 points or more.
Austin Peay State University is 4-2 this season when Caleb Stone-Carrawell scores at least 12 points.
APSU has recorded 24 dunks in 14 games.
The Governors are 9-1 in their last nine games when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points.
Over the past five seasons, Austin Peay State University is 74-23 when holding a halftime lead.
Since the 2010-11 season, the APSU Govs have compiled a record of 155-83 when scoring 70 points or more.
Austin Peay State University has made at least one 3-pointer in 651-straight games. The last time the Governors did not make a trey was on February 18th, 2002 against Morehead State.
The Governors have won four of their last five games when they make 10 or more 3-pointers.
Austin Peay State University has won five of its last six games, including three straight, when recording 10 or more steals.
APSU ranks second in the ASUN and 56th nationally in free throws percentage (.747), third in the conference and 79th in the country in turnovers forced per game (14.93), fourth in the league and 79th nationally in turnover margin (2.4), and fourth in the conference and 89th in the country in offensive rebounds per game (11.71).
Durugordon leads the conference and is 72nd nationally in offensive rebounds per game (2.86). Hutchins-Everett is second in the league in rebounds (97) and field goal percentage (.500). Paez is third in the conference in assists (50).
Austin Peay State University faced a pair of schools – Murray State and Tennessee – in consecutive games which owned two of the top seven longest active home win streaks in the country. The Governors traveled to Murray State on December 16th. The Racers had won 20 straight home games, which was seventh.
Austin Peay State University traveled to Tennessee on December 21st. The Volunteers have won 23 consecutive home games, which is sixth. After Tennessee, the Austin Peay State University played Thursday at Queens, which has won 17 straight home games and is tied for ninth.
Austin Peay State University has played the toughest schedule in the ASUN and is tied with California having played the 48th hardest in the country. The APSU Govs’ opponents so far have combined for a .621 (87-53) winning percentage.
The Governors are represented by nine states – Tennessee (Kamarie Coffey, Codey Bates, Jacob Roberts), North Carolina (Stone-Carrawell, Ware), New York (Durugordon, Okworogwo), New Jersey (Elijah Perkins, Rodrique Massenat), Texas (Calderon), Maryland (Guy Fauntleroy), Illinois (Shon Robinson), Alabama (Nathan Moore), and Georgia (Copeland). Paez, from Venezuela, is the team’s lone international player. Austin Peay has had a player from outside of the United States on its roster every season dating back to the 2013-14 campaign.
Austin Peay State University is:
- 5-2 when leading with five minutes to play in regulation
- 6-2 when leading with two minutes to play in regulation
- 5-0 when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponent
- 6-2 when its opponent shoots under 50 percent
- 5-1 when outrebounding its opponent
- 3-1 when making 10 or more 3-pointers
- 5-1 when making more free throws than its opponent
- 4-1 when making 15 or more free throws
- 4-2 when recording more assists than its opponent
- 3-1 when recording 15 or more assists
- 3-1 when scoring more points in the paint than its opponent.
APSU has won at least three-consecutive games:
- In the Dunn Center
- On Mondays
- Leading with two minutes to play in regulation
- Shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponent
- Outrebounding its opponent
- Recording more offensive rebounds than its opponent
- Making 15 or more free throws
- Scoring more bench points than its opponent
- Scoring more second-chance points than its opponent
About the North Florida Ospreys
The North Florida Ospreys are coming off a 92-60 exhibition win, Thursday, at home over Atlantis. Jarius Hicklen ended with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-9 from deep, and a 4-of-4 mark from the stripe to lead four North Florida players in double figures. The Ospreys shot 46 percent (29-of-63) overall, 35.9 percent (14-of-39) from 3, and 66.7 percent (20-of-30) from the line. North Florida got 41 points from the bench and registered 10 blocks.
The Ospreys have won six-straight home games and are 4-0 this season in UNF Arena.
Jose Placer is nine points shy of reaching 1,000 for his career.
Under Driscoll, North Florida is 181-16 when leading with five minutes to go in regulation, 166-37 when leading at the half, 86-8 when holding foes under 40 percent from the floor, and 174-34 when shooting better than its opponent.
Tip-Ins
Saturday is the fifth all-time meeting between Austin Peay State University and North Florida but first as conference foes. The two teams have alternated wins in the previous four meetings, with each team protecting home court in each matchup.
Saturday marks the eight-year anniversary since the first time Austin Peay faced North Florida. The Governors scored a 65-60 win in the Winfield Dunn Center on Dec. 31, 2014.
Tickets
Single-game tickets to any of the Governors’ nine remaining regular-season home contests in their final season in the Dunn Center start as low as $10.00 and can be purchased:
- In-person by visiting the SS&E office inside the Dunn Center
- Online
- By calling 931.221.PEAY (7329)
