OXFORD, Ohio — (ESPN CLARKSVILLE) Despite a furious second-half rally, Austin Peay State University men’s basketball’s second comeback bid in as many days fell short, with the Govs dropping a 76-70 decision to host Miami at Millett Hall.
Down 17 with 17 minutes to go, the Govs chipped away at the RedHawk lead, getting to within a point thanks to back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore Jared Savage with 2:19 remaining in the contest, capping a nearly 15-minute stretch that saw the Govs outscore the hosts 41-25. But the Govs could never find the go-ahead bucket, falling to 2-2 on the campaign.
Similar to the first half against Northern Kentucky, the Governors got off to a slow start against the RedHawks. Although the perimeter shot was not falling at all for Austin Peay in the first half—the Govs were just 2-of-10 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes—senior Kenny Jones led the way with 11 points and five boards in the opening half. Savage hit a few shots early and Josh Robinson came to life late; both finished the half with seven points.
Foul trouble shuffled Robinson to the bench for a large part of the second half, but Savage responded with a flurry of three-pointers and 13 points, finishing with a season-high 20, which included five three-pointers, and a career high-tying nine boards. Jones posted his second consecutive double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The Govs close out their stay at the Tarkett Sports Classic with an 11 a.m. (CT), Sunday contest against Delaware. The Blue Hens are 1-1 in the tournament, defeating Miami (68-66) in their opening contest before falling 74-53 to Northern Kentucky today.