Austin Peay basketball coach Matt Figger learned to be consistent under Frank Martin at Kansas State and South Carolina. Colton Pouncy/USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee
On Saturday night, in the final game of the regular season, Austin Peay looked to finish on a high note with a win over arch-rival Murray State, while spoiling the Racers' chance at a regular-season OVC championship.
In a game that featured floor-slamming fouls, an electric atmosphere and a three-hour weather delay, the Governors (17-13, 12-6 OVC) couldn't come away with a victory, falling to the Racers (24-5, 16-2 OVC), 73-64.
Here are a few things we learned.
No statement win for Austin Peay
Austin Peay was just 11-19 a year ago. A year later, the Govs headed into the regular season finale as the No. 3 seed in the OVC tournament. The year-to-year improvement is there, but it still felt like the team was missing a statement win. A win over Murray would've qualified, and it would've given Austin Peay some momentum heading into the OVC tournament. But that didn't happen.
Early in the game, it appeared it would. The Govs jumped out to a quick lead and ended the half on a 9-0 run. Austin Peay led the Racers 37-23 at halftime. But the wheels fell off in the second half. A 22-5 Murray State run out of the gate helped the Racers grab a 45-42 lead over the Governors. Murray State shot 76 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes, dominating on the glass, in the paint and from beyond the arc. In the end, they held on for the nine-point win.
The Governors are now just 2-6 against the top six teams in the OVC this season, with both wins coming against Jacksonville State. It goes without saying, but Austin Peay will need to be able to knock off the top teams if it wants to win the OVC tournament next week. And while there was optimism in the first half, the Govs couldn't put it all together.
Dunn Center Delay
With Austin Peay leading 62-53 with 5:49 left in the game, officials stopped the game after the ceiling of the Dunn Center was struck with what was most likely lightning, per APSU officials, creating a hole and a rain leak on the court. The game entered a three-hour delay as Austin Peay and Murray State officials came together to work on a solution. The debris from the ceiling was cleaned up, trash cans and towels were laid out to collect the water and it was announced the game would be completed. The on-court action didn't resume until midnight, and the Dunn Center was emptier than it was when the delay began, but the two schools were able to finish.
Terry Taylor back to his old ways
In his last five games entering Saturday night, Taylor averaged just 10.8 points per game, well below his scoring average. He's struggled with foul trouble in recent games and that's affected his consistency on the court. But against Murray State, Taylor found his stroke. He scored 24 points and knocked down a career-high five 3-pointers against the Racers. He stayed out of foul trouble throughout the game and carried the team at times. Austin Peay will need this version of Taylor if it wants to realize its OVC Championship aspirations.
OVC Outlook
Even before the game, Austin Peay was locked into the No. 3 seed in the OVC tournament, so tonight's loss doesn't affect their spot. The Governors will play the winner of Tennessee State vs. Eastern Illinois. Austin Peay is 0-1 against TSU and 2-0 vs. EIU this season. With the win, Murray State locks up the No. 1 seed in the tournament and will receive a double-bye. The Lady Governors will play Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.
Reach Colton Pouncy at [email protected] or on Twitter @CTPSports.