For 25 minutes, the Sewanee men’s basketball team gave NCAA Division I Austin Peay all it could handle. Eventually, the host Governors, who are the defending Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champions, pulled away in the second half for an 89-72 win inside the Dunn Center.
Early on, it was all Sewanee. The Tigers shot 45.8 percent from the floor in the first half. That included an 8-for-18 effort (44.4 percent) from outside the three-point arc.
Ahead 9-6 after a Jorden Williams three, the Tigers outscored the Govs 12-5 over the next five minutes. Back-to-back threes by Williams and senior Leo Born pushed Sewanee in front 25-13 with 9:40 left in the first half.
Eventually, Austin Peay clawed its way back into the game. The Govs closed the first half on a 26-11 run the final nine minutes. With that, Austin Peay led by three, 39-36, at the break.
Williams and fellow senior guard Clay Born paced Sewanee early for a combined 23 points in the opening half. Another big key for Sewanee the opening 20 minutes was the Tigers’ ability to hold the Govs to a 22.2 three-point field goal percentage.
In the second half, Austin Peay began to show its athletic ability. The Govs forced 12 second-half turnovers which led to 26 fast break points. That allowed Austin Peay to build its biggest lead, 86-66, with 3:44 left to play.
From there, Sewanee closed the game on a 6-3 run.
Overall, Sewanee made 41.4 percent of its attempts. That included a game-high 15 three points shots.
With 48 points inside the paint, Austin Peay shot 53.1 percent from the floor. Additionally, APSU held a 37-29 advantage on the boards. That included 13 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second-chance points.
Individually, Williams led Sewanee with 21 points while Clay Born finished with 19 on 6-of-13 shooting. Along with Clay, Leo Born added 16 points and six rebounds.
Guard Josh Robinson led Austin Peay with a game-high 31 points, seven assists, and three steals.
Sewanee continues its preseason with a noon game at NCAA Division I Lipscomb on Friday, November 11.
Article courtesy of sewaneetigers.com