Clarksville, TN – That’s what you want to see from an exhibition.
Behind a balanced scoring attack that saw all 10 active Austin Peay State University men’s basketball student-athletes enter the scoring column – and four reach double figures – coupled with just three turnovers and a 57.1 second-half field-goal percentage, the Governors cruised to an 82-43 exhibition victory against Tennessee Tech, Wednesday, on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.
Sporting the red and white for the first time, DeMarcus Sharp (18 points), Dez White (13), Ja’Monta Black (13), and Sai Witt (10) all reached double figures in the win. Sharp also paced Austin Peay with seven assists, five of which came on three-pointers, as he accounted for a team-best 37 points.
“Step Back Sharp” showcased his nickname on the first possession of the game, as he hit a step-back shot from the baseline 20 seconds in to give the Govs an early lead. Tennessee Tech’s Jayvis Harvey answered with three as the shot clock expired on the TTU’s first possession, but it proved to be the first and only time that the Golden Eagles held the advantage, as a Ja’Monta Black triple put the Govs up 13 seconds later, and they would never look back.
The top-returning three-point scorer in all of college basketball, Sharp hit each of APSU’s first two threes of the night, which gave APSU a 10-3 advantage at the under-16 media timeout.
After a split trip to the charity stripe by Sharp and a layup by Black to take a 13-3 lead with 15:06 remaining in the first half, TTU cut its deficit to two after making four of its next seven shots from the field during a 10-3, scoring run.
The APSU Govs re-extended its lead to seven following the Tennessee Tech run after making 3-of-4 shots in a two-minute span.
Leading 24-18 with 5:25 remaining in the opening half, the Governors forced TTU to miss six of its final seven shots of the half and led 36-22 after 20 minutes of play.
Black led APSU with 10 points in the first half, making four of his eight attempts from the field, while the Govs’ lone returner on the 2023-24 roster, Jalen Ware, had seven points and tied for a game-high five rebounds.
At the break, APSU scored 11 points on 10 Golden Eagles’ turnovers and had just one turnover itself. In addition, only one TTU student-athlete who shot more than one attempt was over 50 percent from the field, as the Govs limited the Golden Eagles to 28.6 percent from the field with eight makes.
The Govs missed back-to-back shots just three times during a second half which saw them connect on 16-of-28 shots from the field, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Austin Peay State University held Tennessee Tech two just a pair of free throws on eight-straight misses in the opening 5:55 of the second half, and led by 25 before the Golden Eagles’ first make of the final half.
After its final back-to-back misses of the evening five minutes into the second half, Sharp scored six-straight APSU points to extend the Governors lead to 26 with 12:31 remaining, while a Hansel Enmanuel breakaway dunk three minutes later gave the Govs a then-game high 32-point lead.
Sai Witt and Harrison Black scored the Govs’ final eight points of the evening, with Witt going 2-for-2 from the free throw line in addition to a pair of layups, while Black entered the scoring column following the final media timeout of the evening with a perfect trip to the line himself.
Austin Peay State University finished the night with a 48.4 field-goal percentage, nine made three-pointers, and outscored the Golden Eagles 30-16 in the paint. Their 20 forced turnovers translated into 23 points, as they outscored TTU in the category 23-2.
The Difference
Efficiency, turnovers and the points scored off those turnovers. Austin Peay State University shot 48.4 and 39.1 percent from the field and three-point range, respectively, while limiting Tennessee Tech to just 27.8 percent from the floor and 4-of-26 from deep (15.4 percent).
That, paired with 20 forced turnovers and 21 points off them while limiting their giveaways to three, led to the blowout win in exhibition action.
Inside the Box Score
While the result will not go on the record book, Austin Peay State University unofficially claimed the first-ever victory on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.
Austin Peay State University won its 15th-straight exhibition game, a streak that began during the 2012-13 season.
APSU’s 21 points off turnovers are its most since scoring 24 against Central Arkansas on January 7th, 2023.
The Govs’ 30 made field goals are tied for their most since making 32 in that same game against UCA.
DeMarcus Sharp’s seven assists are the most by a Gov since Carlos Paez had eight at North Florida on December 31st, 2022.
Coach’s Corner
With head APSU men’s basketball coach Corey Gipson
On Supporting Operation Stand Down Tennessee in the exhibition.… “This was a great opportunity to represent for our Operation Stand Down Tennessee. For Tennessee Tech to come down here and collaborate with us… Operation Stand Down Tennessee means so much to us, with helping retired veterans, wounded veterans, and veterans that may be struggling. They just do so much for them, from giving them houses, meals, support and so much more. I am just so thankful to collaborate with Tennessee Tech to be able to give back to them, especially with the Fort Campbell military base right down the road.”
On it being an exhibition… “Everything is a game for us. We approach practice even harder than we do games. The game is just a showpiece, but we have to have a way of life that represents us every day. We are just fortunate to show what we are about. We have to continue to get better.We have some work yet to do. We just love the support we got today, we loved the crowd and are thankful for their energy and their unconditional love and support.”
On what he was looking for in the exhibition… “We were just looking to execute and to be consistent throughout the game. You do not want to have lulls in game – you want to be consistent. You do not want the score to dictate anything. You want the way we go about it to dictate the game. I was proud of our guys and how they got caught up in what we do, and that they did not get caught up in the score or what the opponent did.”
On the turnovers… “Our guys were locked in and we had great guard play. We have some of the best guard play in the country, to be honest. Our forwards also have a good skill set of taking care of the basketball and making fundamentally sound plays.”
On players he may be proud of… “Man, I am proud of you. I am proud of everyone around here. We have breath in our lungs. Anyone who is a part of this organization, we are proud of them.”
Tickets
Single-game and single-season tickets are now available for the 2023-24 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 Governors’ inaugural season in F&M Bank Arena, follow the 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 regular-season opener is next on deck for Gipson and the Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team, as they open their 2023-24 campaign with a Monday 7:15pm game against Life on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.
