Clarksville, TN – A season-high field-goal percentage and a season-best defensive field goal percentage allowed the Austin Peay State University (APSU) basketball team to a 98-44 victory against Midway Tuesday on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.
Austin Peay (4-6) made a season-high 37 shots on 66 attempts. That percentage, 56.1, bested the team’s previous high of 47.1 which was set against Fisk, on November 14th, while its 28.6 field-goal percentage defense was 9.1 percent less than its best defensive performance from the field which also came against Fisk.
Freshman Dez White led Austin Peay State University in scoring for the third time this season with 22 points – his second 20-point performance this season and the ninth by a Gov in 2023-24. DeMarcus Sharp also scored 20, his fourth 20-point outing in his last five games, with the one outlier in that stretch being his 19 at Tennessee State on Saturday.
The Governors struck first on White’s first of eight baskets for the second time this season.
From then on, it was all Austin Peay State University.
The APSU Govs jumped out to an 11-0 run in the first 4:20 of Tuesday’s contest following Hansel Enmanuel’s second make of the night. It was not until the 14:56 mark in the opening half that Midway (4-4) entered the scoring column, ending a streak of five-straight misses..
Midway missed eight of its first nine attempts from the field, as APSU extended its lead to 21-2 less than eight minutes in – with the Govs connecting on 9-of-14 shots in that span.
Austin Peay State University led by 20 with 11:27 remaining after White scored his second three-pointer for the Govs’ 24th point. Including his long-range basket, three of APSU’s next four scores came from beyond the arc, with Dezi Jones connecting on his first triple amidst a 13-0, with his second of the night putting APSU up 45-10 with 2:19 left in the half.
After an Eagles triple – their only on 15 first-half attempts – to make their deficit 32 Sharp split a pair of free throws for the final point of the opening 20 minutes, giving the Govs a 46-13 advantage at the break.
White alone outscored the Eagles in the first half with 14 points, nine of which came from beyond the arc, while Sharp, Hansel, and Jones were tied for second in the game with eight points.
The 13 first-half points allowed are the lowest in the digital record, best the previous known record of 14 in the second half against Oakland City November 6th, 2018.
Midway had its longest scoring streak of the night early in the second, with six-straight points to trim the Govs’ lead to 29 with 17:46 remaining, but the Govs quickly regained a 30-point advantage on their next trip down the court with a step-back basket by Sharp.
After three-straight misses from the field – just one of four times that would happen on the night for APSU – the Govs went on to rattle in eight of their next 10 attempts, including six-straight between 15:00 and 12:07 remaining in the second half, to take a 69-28 lead. Four of the Govs’ six-straight makes came via the long ball, with White and Ja’Monta Black splitting the scores.
With 91 seconds remaining, Harrison Black drained a pair of free throws – his first career at the line and first points as a governor – to give the APSU governors a 50- and 51-point advantage.
Austin Peay State University made four of its final five attempts from the field in the final four minutes, while limiting the Eagles to just two baskets on 13 attempts in the final 8:56 to claim its largest win since a 64-point victory against Carver, December 4th, 2020.
The Difference
Efficiency on both ends of the court. It’s next to impossible to beat a team that makes 56.1 percent of its attempts from the field, and about as impossible as impossible gets in basketball to beat them when shooting just 28.6 percent from the field yourself.
The Governors accomplished both of those against the Eagles. They also forced 18 turnovers and translated those into a season-high 28 points off turnovers.
Inside the Box Score
Austin Peay State University earned its first win in its first regular-season contest against Midway.
The Governors improved to 4-3 against first-time opponents this season in their final inaugural matchup of the campaign.
Austin Peay State University improved to 3-1 at home this season.
The 54-point win is the largest since the program defeated Carver 102-38 on December 4th, 2022 in the Winfield Dunn Center.
Dez White led APSU in scoring for the third time in his career.
White’s 22 points are tied for the sixth-most by a Gov this season.
White’s five three-pointers are the second-most of his career, trailing only seven against Fisk on November 14th.
White’s four assists also are the second most of his early career and trail only five against Life in his first-career game, November 6th.
DeMarcus Sharp registered his fifth 20-point performance as a Gov with exactly 20 points against the Eagles.
Sharp has scored at least 20 points in four of the last five games.
Sharp registered his fourth double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. His number on the boards is tied for his second most this season which also is tied for the third-most by any Governor in 2023-24.
Hansel Enmanuel set numerous career highs against the Eagles including in points (eight), rebounds (10), offensive rebounds (five), made field goals (four) and minutes (29:16).
Austin Peay State University improved to 13-0 all-time against programs from the River States Conference.
The APSU Govs improved to 3-3 following a loss this season.
Austin Peay State University now is 2-0 when playing on Tuesday.
The APSU Govs improved to 4-1 this season when recording a higher field-goal percentage and 4-0 when recording most fast-break points.
Austin Peay State University’s 98 points are its most since scoring 102 against Kentucky Christian on December 6th, 2022.
The Govs’ 44 points allowed are its fewest surrendered since allowing the previously-mentioned 38 against Carver in 2020.
Austin Peay State University had a season-high 28 points off turnovers, 25 second-chance points, 26 bench points, and tied for a season-best 38 points in the paint.
DeMarcus Sharp (+40), Dez White (+47), Ja’Monta Black (+35), Daniel Loos (+30), Harrison Black (+13), Dezi Jones (+33), Jonathan Dunn (+23), and Hansel Enmanuel (+43) all had a season-high in plus-minus.
Coach’s Corner
With Austin Peay head basketball coach Corey Gipson
Overall thoughts… “We are still trying to find chemistry within our rotations on this roster. We are trying to find an offensive and defensive rhythm and that has been a tall task for us thus far, but we have made some strides in things we do both offensively and defensively. Now we have to find roations that can give us consistency.”
On the two-way efficiency… “Little victories are very important. I am never moved by an outcome of the game. Some people will ask me ‘how are you doing coach?’ I am always doing great because I am given the opportunity in real time to evaluate in real time with the lights on and even in practices, how we are improving as a team. We have to continue to work as a team and staff in finding the right chemistry with the collective group of guys that we have to where we may have one group that is good offensively, one defensively, but we have to find a happy medium with a group where we find an equilibrium on both sides of the game.”
On Enmanuel Hansel’s career day… “He has to continue to be consistent. At Northwestern State, he started the last five games of the season for us because he is very capable of doing what we need him to do and what we ask him to do. Hansel has to continue to find a defensive rhythm where he is being assignment correct and he has to continue to find an offensive rhythm when people decide to plug off of him and trap other players. There is still a lot of work yet to do as to how he reads the game, but one thing I can guarantee is that he never lacks in effort when he plays the game.”
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), Facebook (Austin Peay Men’s Basketball), or LetsGoPeay.com.
Next Up For APSU Men’s Basketball
It’s rivalry week in Clarksville, as the Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team hosts Murray State in a Saturday 6:15pm contest on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena, following the women’s 4:00pm doubleheader against the Racers.
