Austin Peay vs. Life
Monday, November 6th, 2023 | 7:15pm
Clarksville, TN | F&M Bank Arena
Clarksville, TN – Basketball is officially back. The Austin Peay State University (APSU) basketball team tips off its 2023-24 campaign with a Monday 7:15pm game against Life on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.
Fresh off an 82-43 exhibition victory against Tennessee Tech on Thursday, the Governors now prepare for the first official game of the Corey Gipson Era at its new facility, F&M Bank Arena.
Austin Peay State University had four players score in double figures during its charity exhibition against the Golden Eagles, and was paced by Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Conference DeMarcus Sharp’s 18 points.
One of six players who came to Clarksville from Northwestern State, where Gipson served the head coach last season, Sharp accounted for a game-high 37 points, as five of his seven assists were off three-pointers.
Sharp also is one of 12 newcomers that comprise APSU’s 2023-24 roster. He is joined by fellow Demon-turned-Governor Ja’Monta Black, who is the top-returning three-point scorer across all levels of college basketball with 122 makes last season. Black made a trio of threes in a 13-point performance against Tennessee Tech last week.
The Govs’ lone returning player from last year’s team is redshirt junior Jalen Ware who appeared in 28 games and made 12 starts last season while averaging 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49.1 and 35.5 percent from the field and three-point range, respectively.
Gipson will not be the only Austin Peay State University graduate patrolling the sideline in Monday’s season opener, as Kevin Easley, a 2002 APSU grad and four-year letter winner for the APSU Govs, is in his sixth season as the Running Eagles head coach.
Life is 71-74 under Easley and is coming off a 20-10 2022-23 campaign, which saw it fall in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament to the nation’s No. 1 seed, Florida College.
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN+ — Barry Gresham (PxP) / Ethan Schmidt (Color)
All home and Atlantic Sun Conference games are live-streamed on ESPN+.
About the Austin Peay Governors
Austin Peay State University basketball tips off its 93rd season, first under Corey Gipson and in F&M Bank Arena.
Life is the first of seven first-time opponents the Governors will face this season, all coming in nonconference play.
The Governors’ 2023-24 roster features a Division I-best 12 newcomers, 11 of which are transfers.
The reigning Southland Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year, a First Team and All-Defensive Team selection, DeMarcus Sharp averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game last season at Northwestern State.
Ja’Monta Black is also one of six Northwestern State transfers that grace the APSU Govs’ roster. The Columbia, Missouri native is the top-returning three-point scorer across all levels of college basketball after making 122 threes last year and 3.81 per game – both ranked fourth in Division I last season.
Jalen Ware is APSU’s lone returning player from last year’s. He averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Govs a season ago and scored seven points and hauled in as many rebounds in the exhibition win against Tennessee Tech.
APSU’s single freshman on the roster, Dez White is set to begin his collegiate career after coming out of Helias High School and The Skills Factory Prep where he was ranked a three-star recruit by On3.com and 247Sports.com. He holds HCHS’ single-game and single-season scoring record with 51 and 699 points, respectively. White made a team-best four three-pointers against Tennessee Tech last week.
About the Life Running Eagles
2023-24 Record: 3-0 (SSAC)
2022-23 Record: 20-10 (12-8 SSAC)
2022-23 Season Result: After dropping an 83-81 decision in the SSAC Tournament Quarterfinal, Life had its 2022-23 season come to an end following a 79-77 defeat to No. 1 Florida College in the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament.
Notable Returner: Nathan Presnell leads Life with 18.0 points per game through a trio of starts this season. He averaged 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Running Eagles last season in 27 appearances.
Series History: First regular-season meeting
Last Meeting: In the only previous meeting between Austin Peay and Life the Governors earned a 92-63 win against the Running Eagles in a November 4th, 2021 exhibition.
Tickets
Single-game and single-season tickets are now available for the 2023-24 APSU men’s basketball season. Single-game tickets may be purchased at the top-right of this preview.
For information on single-season tickets, contact the APSU ticket office at 931.221.PEAY (7329) or email Justyn Carlson at jcarlson@ssellc.com.
Follow The APSU Govs
For news and updates throughout the 2023-24 season, follow the APSU men’s basketball team on X and Instagram (@GovsMBB), on Facebook (Austin Peay Men’s Basketball), or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.
Next Up For APSU Men’s Basketball
The Austin Peay State University basketball team will face George Mason for their first road game of the season in a Friday 6:00pm CT game at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia. Austin Peay will look for its first-ever win against the Patriots, in the third all-time meeting between the two sides and the first since the National Invitation Tournament on March 19th, 2004.
