CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay men’s basketball team defeated Jacksonville on Saturday night and, as a result, clinched the regular season ASUN championship.
This is the first regular season conference championship for the Govs since joining the ASUN, and the first regular season conference championship overall since the 2008 season. Saturday’s win moved the Govs to 15-1 in conference play this season, with two games remaining.
It became possible for the Govs to clinch a share of the title tonight when Central Arkansas lost to Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday. That was the third conference loss of the season for the Bears, which put them two games behind the Govs with two games to play. As a result, the Govs simply had to win on Saturday night to clinch a share of the title.
The Bears come to Clarksville on Wednesday, and the Govs can clinch the conference title outright with a victory. Austin Peay can also clinch their fifth-ever undefeated home record with a win on Wednesday.
The Govs get to come back to Clarksville as conference champions, but Jacksonville didn’t make it easy. Austin Peay escaped with a 65-61 victory, so let’s now dive into the recap.
Final Score: Austin Peay 65, Jacksonville 61
The first meeting between Austin Peay and Jacksonville, held at the beginning of January, was a close one. The Dolphins played aggressive defense and kept the Govs’ high-powered offense in check. Austin Peay escaped that one with a 71-68 victory.
This game was much like the first meeting. Baskets didn’t come easily for either team, and the Govs did most of their damage in the paint rather than on the perimeter.
The Dolphins got out to a fast start and had a 6-0 lead to begin the game. However, a three-pointer by Anton Brookshire got the Govs on the board, and it was a back-and-forth affair for much of the half. Neither team had much success from behind the arc in the first, and most of the points came from around the rim.
Ultimately, a couple of Rashaud Marshall layups before the half gave the Govs a 33-28 lead heading to the break.
The second half was more of the same. The three-point shooting for both teams continued to be ineffective, and most of the damage was done in the paint. For the Govs, Marshall had his second huge game in a row and finished with a game-high 26 points to go with seven rebounds.
The Govs got into some foul trouble in the second. Both Marshall and Tate McCubbin fouled out, making the Govs rely more heavily on their other starters. Zyree Collins and Collin Parker both played 37 minutes in this game, while Brookshire played all 40 minutes.
Austin Peay led by as many as 12 points in the second, but Jacksonville kept battling, and the game was tied with under four minutes to play. Thanks to some clutch points from Parker and Ja’Corey Robinson, the Govs were able to escape with a 65-61 win.
The Govs have at least a share of the regular season title, but they’d love to clinch the outright title on Wednesday at home.
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