CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay men’s basketball team had a huge showdown against the Central Arkansas Bears at F&M Bank Arena on Wednesday night.
There was much at stake in this one, as with a win, the Govs would have clinched the outright regular season ASUN title. A win also would’ve meant the Govs finished this season with a perfect home record for just the fifth time in history. For the Bears, a win on Wednesday would have meant they were only one game behind the Govs and in control of the tiebreaker.
This game was highly anticipated by college basketball fans, and it definitely lived up to the hype. However, the end result isn’t what Stacheville was hoping for, and the Govs lost 93-88.
Govs start hot, but lead falls away
This game could not have started better for the Govs. The Govs made their first three field goals of the night and had an 8-3 lead after the first two minutes. Collin Parker, who’s been one of the best players in the conference all season, and reliable veteran Anton Brookshire, were on fire in the first half.
After a couple of threes from both players, the Govs had a 25-14 lead just over halfway through the first. Then, at around the 9:40 mark, Parker pulled up from the logo at center court and hit another three to extend the lead to 28-14.
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After Parker made the long three, F&M Bank Arena was as loud as it’s ever been for an Austin Peay game. The Govs had all the momentum, and after a Central Arkansas timeout, extended the lead to a game-high 17 points.
The Bears wouldn’t stay down, though. What was at one point a 38-21 Govs lead quickly turned into a 42-40 lead with under two minutes to play. The Bears couldn’t miss to end the first half, and the Govs entered the break with just a 46-44 lead.
Central Arkansas defense kicks in
In the second half, the Govs remained in control, at least for a time. Tate McCubbin got hot and hit a couple of threes, while Brookshire added a couple of threes of his own. However, Parker, who had 21 points in the first half, struggled to get going thanks to some tough defense from Central Arkansas.
Parker finished with just eight points in the second half after dominating in the first. On the other side, Javion Guy-King had a career half, scoring 22 points for the Bears, bringing his game total to 34 points.
Thanks to the efforts of Guy-King and Ty Robinson, the Bears took their first lead of the game with just under five minutes to play. The last five minutes would be a back-and-forth affair, but a couple of threes from Robinson and some clutch free throws from Camren Hunter proved to be too much for the Govs to overcome.
Ultimately, the Govs ended up falling 93-88, suffering their first home loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion.
What’s next for Austin Peay?
Even with the loss, the Govs can still win the outright regular season conference title. All the Govs have to do now is beat Bellarmine on Saturday. In the first meeting between Austin Peay and Bellarmine this season, the Govs won by 20 points.
If the Govs lose their season finale and the Bears win theirs, then the teams will split the regular season title. In that scenario, the Govs would get the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament due to the Central Arkansas loss.
While it was disappointing to lose on Senior Day in front of 4,000-plus fans, everything is still in play for the Govs. Simply beat Bellarmine, and the Govs will still end up as the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament with their sights set on their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2016.
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