CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – We are now well into conference play for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Austin Peay.
Entering last Thursday, the men’s team was 4-0 in the conference, while the women were sitting at 2-2. The men were home at F&M Bank Arena to take on the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, while the women were up in Louisville taking on the Bellarmine Knights.
It was a quick turnaround for both teams, as both had matchups against the Lipscomb Bisons scheduled for Saturday.
So how did the Govs’ teams do in the important slate? Let’s dive into the recap.
Thursday, Jan. 15
Women’s Basketball: APSU vs. Bellarmine
The women’s team was looking to get back on track against the struggling Knights after dropping two home games in a row. The Knights are the team you want to play when you’re struggling, as they entered with a 2-15 record.
The Govs got off to a fast start and had a 20-7 lead after the first quarter. The Govs never let up from there, and a 44-17 halftime lead turned into a 67-39 final score.
For the Govs, Jade Rucker led the way with 16 points off the bench. Kyra Perkins, who also came off the bench, was the other Gov to score in double figures with 13 points of her own.
| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Clarksville Now app
Overall, the Govs dominated in second chance points and bench points. The team shot 43.1% from the field and never allowed the Knights to take the lead.
Men’s Basketball: APSU vs. Eastern Kentucky
The men, meanwhile, were at home taking on the Colonels from Eastern Kentucky. The Govs entered with a perfect 4-0 conference record, while the Colonels were 6-11 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
This game was much closer than the women’s game. The Govs got off to a hot start, but the Colonels ended up taking a 38-37 lead into the half after a hot streak from deep.
The Govs stepped it up on defense in the second half, though. Star freshman Zyree Collins led the way with 18 total points and also chipped in five rebounds and six steals. It was a back-and-forth affair, but the Govs were able to do enough to escape with a 74-72 victory.
Eastern Kentucky’s M.J. Williams put up a buzzer-beater from near halfcourt that went in to seemingly give the Colonels the win, but the shot was waved off after a short review. The Govs improved to 5-0 and maintained their standing at the top of the conference.
Saturday, Jan. 17
Women’s Basketball: APSU vs. Lipscomb
On Saturday, the women’s team played host to Lipscomb at F&M Bank Arena. It was a very ugly first quarter for the Govs, who managed just four points and entered the second quarter in an eight-point hole.
Luckily, the team stepped up after that. The Govs outscored the Bisons 14-13 in the second and went to halftime trailing 25-18. However, a bad third quarter ultimately doomed the Govs, who couldn’t come back despite winning the fourth.
The Bisons escaped Clarksville with a 51-45 win. For the Govs, JaNiah Newell led the way with 12 points. This was the second game in a row that a reserve ended up leading the team in scoring.
After one win and one loss on the week, the women’s team is sitting at 11-5 overall and 3-3 in the conference. Notably, the team has not lost a game on the road.
Men’s Basketball: APSU vs. Lipscomb
The men were also taking on the Bisons, down the road at their campus in Nashville. Unlike the women’s team, the men got off to a hot start and ended up carrying a 42-40 lead into the half.
The second half was back and forth, and there ended up being a whopping 26 lead changes in the game. Ultimately, the Govs went extremely cold shooting in the second half, and the Bisons did just enough to walk away with an 82-78 win.
In the first half, the Govs shot over 51% from the field and 50% from three. In the second half, though, the team shot just under 40% from the field and 22% from deep. That’s not going to cut it against a solid team like Lipscomb.
The men’s team also went 1-1 on the week and now sits at 11-6 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
| SPORTS REPORT: Sign up for the new weekly Clarksville sports newsletter