Austin Peay retains top spot in ASUN after road battle at Queens

 

Austin Peay forward Collin Parker (center) attempts a shot in Wednesday night's victory at Queens. (Photo:  Austin Peay Athletics)

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CHARLOTTE – If numerology is your thing, there were plenty of numbers to enjoy Wednesday night in Charlotte.

32. Five. 21-for-34.

The 32 – worn by Austin Peay’s Collin Parker – easily eclipsed his career-high point total. The five – Rashaud Marshall – backed up his teammate with a 9-for-10 effort of his own. The 21-for-34 came from Queens, which was one of the main points Royals coach Grant Leonard wanted to address after the game.

Austin Peay held serve in Curry Arena, turning away Queens, 95-87, and extending its clutch on the top spot in the ASUN.

“We knew it would be a hard-fought game,” Austin Peay head coach Corey Gipson said after the game. “We knew we had to be the more physical team. And we were.”

Austin Peay (18-6, 12-1 ASUN) asserted its will almost from the opening tip. The Governors ripped off an 11-0 run after Queens took the lead on the first bucket of the game, then pushed the lead as high as 12 on a Parker triple. Queens (14-12, 9-4) gradually whittled away at the lead, snipping it to five on an Avantae Parker bucket at the 5:39 mark of the first half.

The Governors used a 5-0 burst to swell the lead back to 10 a minute later, only for the Royals to clip it to six. Queens then scored 11 of the final 18 points of the half, capped by a Nas Mann jumper at the horn to head to the locker room down 52-50.

Queens charged out of the intermission and landed a haymaker on Austin Peay, delivering a 10-0 killshot run to take a 60-52 advantage buoyed by a pair of Chris Ashby triples. As quickly as the Royals landed the blow, Austin Peay punched back with a killshot run of its own, taking a 62-60 lead. The Royals tied the game on a Jordan Watford jumper but surrendered a 20-8 run from there to put Austin Peay ahead by 12.

“I’ll have to study that stretch to see exactly what happened,” Leonard said. “I thought we came out (in the second half) with great energy. I thought (guard Yoav) Berman’s third foul kind of took some energy away, which was unfortunate. That’s kind of when they went back on their run.”

Austin Peay held Queens at bay through a team defensive effort and strong offense from Parker, Marshall, and others. Gipson had an interesting assessment of how the Governors weathered the storm.

“It’s hard to let the game be boring,” Gipson said. “Our guys really bought into it in the second half. We knew we had to go to a couple of people (on offense) because they would have a mismatch all night long. I thought the second half – and the latter part of the second half – our defense got better, even though it wasn’t predicated off the energy of (our players) getting a touch to score the ball.”

The trading of punches continued, despite the Austin Peay run. Queens responded by halving the Governors’ lead completely keyed by Jordan Watford’s seven points, then using a 7-0 burst to cut it to three on a Watford free throw with 1:38 to play. Austin Peay was able to salt away the game from the line, though, earning the final result in a true battle.

“The fact that we could go on the road and come away with one against a really good team is special,” Gipson said. “At the end of the day, it was just two solid teams getting after each other, making each other better.”

The 21-for-34 number on Leonard’s mind was the final Royal result from the free throw line. Queens had a lot of free throw opportunities circle off, including some in pivotal moments.

“When you’re playing a really good team, the margins are rail-thin,” Leonard said. “There were a couple of categories that I wasn’t really pleased with. Obviously, our free throw shooting kind of went awry. What we’ve got to do is (to) start making our free throws. We can’t go to the line 34 times and make 21, look down, and we’re at 60 percent and they’re at 80 percent, then think we’re going to win a high-stakes game. It’s just not going to happen like that.”

Parker’s 39 points were a career-high for the Govs, with the senior forward hitting 11-of-23 from the field (3-of-5 from distance) and 14-of-17 from the line. Parker’s total was his third 30-point outing in the Govs’ last four games.

“I knew (Parker) was going to be – he only shot 50 percent from the field. But I knew he was going to be good,” Leonard said. “We can’t put him at the foul line that much. The difference in the game was small things. If we want to win a championship, we’ve got to be cleaner.”

Marshall tallied 21, connecting on 9-of-10 from the field. Ja’Corey Robinson added 13 in 24 minutes of reserve duty, hitting 4-of-6 from the field and all five of his free throw tries. The Govs shot 56.1 percent (32-for-57) from the deck, with 35.7 percent (5-of-14) of their tries from distance finding the net. The 80 percent Leonard referenced from the line came on 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) from the stripe. Austin Peay also outrebounded Queens by 10, 38-28.

Watford turned in a career-high of his own, netting 26 in 27 minutes of play off the bench for the Royals. The freshman from nearby Lancaster, S.C., hit 8-of-13 from the field and 8-of-12 from the line.

“Jordan was able to get mismatches and get downhill,” Leonard said. “I was really proud of how he played and I thought he played well enough to put us in a position to win. Jordan keeps getting better and better. I know it’s going to keep happening.”

Four other Royals joined Watford in double figures. Chris Ashby scored 15 on 4-for-10 from the field, with Berman notching 13 on 4-for-9 from the field and 5-for-9 from the line. Mann and Avantae Parker tallied 12 apiece, shooting a combined 9-for-18.

Queens shot 51.6 percent (29-for-56) from the field, with 8-of-22 (36.4 percent) connecting from deep. The Royals shot 61.8 percent (21-for-34) from the line.

Austin Peay returns to F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tenn., to face Bellarmine Saturday afternoon. Tip time is set for 5:30 (Eastern), with ESPN+ handling the coverage. Queens welcomes Lipscomb to Curry Arena Saturday afternoon as the Royals close a small home stand. Tip time is set for 4:00 over ESPN+.

AUSTIN PEAY 95, QUEENS 87

AUSTIN PEAY (18-6, 12-1 ASUN)

McCubbin 3-8 2-2 9, Collins 2-5 2-2 6, Marshall 9-10 3-6 21, Brookshire 1-2 0-0 3, Parker 11-23 14-17 39, Wagner 0-0 0-0 0, Morisch 0-0 0-0 0, Torain 2-3 0-0 4, Robinson 4-6 5-5 13. Totals 32-57 26-32 95.

QUEENS (14-12, 9-4)

Mann 5-11 1-2 12, Parker 4-7 4-8 12, Ashby 4-10 3-3 15, Schwieger 2-4 0-0 4, Berman 4-9 5-9 13, Watford 8-13 8-12 26, Henry 1-1 0-0 2, Larson 0-0 0-0 0, Jabriel 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 29-56 21-34 87.

Halftime:  Austin Peay 52-50. 3-Point goals:  Queens 8-22 (Mann 1-5, Ashby 4-10, Schwieger 0-1, Berman 0-3, Watford 2-2, Jabriel 1-1), Austin Peay 5-14 (McCubbin 1-4, Collins 0-3, Brookshire 1-2, Parker 3-5). Fouled out:  Collins (APSU), Schwieger (QUC).  Rebounds:  Austin Peay 38 (C. Parker/McCubbin 9), Queens 28 (A. Parker 7). Total fouls:  Austin Peay 24, Queens 23. Technicals:  NA.

 

Austin Peay plays with "pure hearts", gets shorthanded win at Queens

Austin Peay forward Tate McCubbin booked 25 in Thursday's win at Queens.  (Photo:  Austin Peay Athletics)

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CHARLOTTE – Austin Peay was not in the most favorable position Thursday night.

The Governors started the night 12-16 and a game below .500 in the ASUN. Star guards Tekao Carpenter and Anton Brookshire were unavailable for the game. To make matters worse, Queens sent out five of its seniors before the game, honoring them for the final time.

In the end, none of it mattered.

Three Austin Peay stars combined for 64 points and the Govs hit 14 threes while scoring over 50 points in a half for the fourth time this season, spoiling the Queens party in a 92-78 victory at Curry Arena.

“Let me tell you, this was one time this year I can honestly say we played with pure hearts,” Austin Peay coach Corey Gipson said after the game. “There was no individualism. It was all collective effort. It was all in unison. I’m thankful we were able to get to that before the season ended. Those guys really wanted this for Austin Peay.”

Austin Peay (13-16, 8-8 ASUN) quickly seized momentum. The Govs got an Isaac Haney triple almost 30 seconds into the game, only to see Queens counter with a pair of Malcolm Wilson buckets to take the lead at 6-5. After Queens took a 16-15 lead on a Kalib Mathews bucket, Austin Peay locked down the homestanding Royals. A 19-5 Governor run over a seven-and-a-half minute span put the Governors ahead by 13.

Queens (17-12, 10-6) used active defensive pressure to quickly flip the script as the first period drew to a close. The home side compelled a series of turnovers, using that pressure to slice the 13-point advantage to the visitors to just four at the half.

The Royals then continued their sizzling ways as the second stanza began. Chris Ashby splashed a quick triple to start the half, bringing Queens within a point. Leo Colimerio’s two free throws then put Queens back ahead, 37-35. The Royals tore off a 13-4 run to take a 49-42 lead four minutes into the second half.

Austin Peay almost immediately countered out of the first media timeout, scoring 14 of the next 16 points to pull ahead by five. Queens unfurled a 9-0 run of its own after falling behind by five, capped by a Jaxon Pollard bucket to put the Royals ahead by four with 9:26 remaining. L.J. Thomas put the Govs back ahead by a pair after two free throws with just over eight minutes left.

Queens appeared to have one final run remaining late in the game, getting a pair of Colimerio buckets to chip a nine-point Governors advantage to five with 2:52 left. Austin Peay would quickly snuff out the final charge.

Austin Peay tore off a 12-0 run from there, largely buoyed by free throws. The Royals missed four straight shots in the span, thwarting any remaining momentum. Tate McCubbin scored the final five points for the Govs, including a three late in the shot clock to plunge the dagger. The McCubbin three provided the last of 58 second-half points for Austin Peay.

“We grew from (losing at Bellarmine). We had amnesia,” Gipson said. “Queens fought very hard. This was a test.”

Queens head coach Grant Leonard quickly pointed to the Royals’ defensive struggles after the game.

“We gave up 14-for-25 from three,” he said. “I thought (on) all 25 of them, they were comfortable, 10 toes to the rim, and in rhythm. When you guard like that, you’re probably not going to win. I don’t think that we should be giving up 92 on our home floor, but it’s probably the second time. It’s unacceptable. 58 in the second half. 48 in the second half is more than enough to win a game, for sure. Giving up 58 makes it impossible.”

Leonard expressed disappointment that the Royals’ seniors – Kalib Mathews, Malcolm Wilson, Jaxon Pollard, Chris Ashby, and Colimerio – couldn’t leave the floor for the final time in the regular season at Curry Arena as winners.

“I feel like I let the seniors down, because that’s not the way I want them to go out,” Leonard said.

The impact of the Royals’ upperclassman group is inarguable. Leonard’s words brought home that impact.

“Start with Kalib. Five years, man,” Leonard said. “The growth he’s had as a person and human being here at Queens has been unbelievable. Chris three years, Jaxon two years, Malcolm two years, and Leo, I appreciate that he came here for his grad year. That’s not the way I wanted them to go out. Jaxon and Chris get another run back.”

“I’m sick because of Kalib. Five years here, man. I didn’t want him to go out like that.”

McCubbin led the Governors and all scorers with 25, hitting 7-of-15 from the deck and 6-of-12 from three. Thomas hit 10-of-11 free throws and finished with 23 after scoring just nine in the teams’ first meeting in Clarksville. Haney added 16 and hit five of his 13 shots. The Governors made 48.4 percent (30-of-62) of their tries from the field and hit 18-of-22 from the line.

Queens logged four double-figure scorers. Colimerio led the Royals with 20, collecting his 1,000th career point in his final regular-season home game. Ashby scored 18 and hit four threes, including his 100th triple of the season. Freshman forward Maban Jabriel contributed 13 on 4-for-6 from the field, while Mathews added 10 on 3-for-8 shooting. The Royals shot 47.1 percent (24-of-51) from the field but hit just 33.3 percent (6-for-18) from distance. Queens shot 77.4 percent (24-for-31) from the charity stripe.

Both teams begin the final week of the regular season Monday night. Queens travels to West Georgia to take on the Wolves. Tip time from Carrollton, Ga., is set for 7:00 (Eastern), with streaming coverage over ESPN+. Austin Peay welcomes co-league leader Lipscomb to F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville for a 7:00 (Eastern) tip with coverage on ESPN+.

AUSTIN PEAY 92, QUEENS 78

AUSTIN PEAY (13-16, 8-8 ASUN)

McCubbin 7-15 5-7 25, Haney 5-13 3-4 16, Thomas 6-15 10-11 23, Evans 0-1 0-0 , Lax 2-4 0-0 5, Daniel 3-3 0-0 6, Loos 0-0 0-0 0, Burries 3-6 0-0 8, Dawson 0-0 0-0 0, Hammer 1-1 0-0 3, Enmanuel 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 30-62 18-22 92.

QUEENS (17-12, 10-6)

Mathews 3-8 4-5 10, Cash 2-2 0-1 4, Ashby 4-14 6-6 18, Colimerio 6-11 8-9 20, Wilson 2-2 0-0 4, Mann 0-1 0-1 0, Shine 0-0 0-0 0, Jabriel 4-6 3-5 13, Nevill 0-0 0-0 0, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Pollard 3-6 1-2 7, Berman 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 24-51 24-31 78.

Halftime:  Austin Peay 34-30. 3-Point goals:  Austin Peay 14-25 (McCubbin 6-12, Haney 3-5, Thomas 1-1, Lax 1-2, Burries 2-4, Hammer 1-1), Queens 6-18 (Mathews 0-3, Ashby 4-12, Jabriel 2-3). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Austin Peay 36 (Thomas 6), Queens 32 (Wilson 7). Total fouls:  Austin Peay 23, Queens 14. Technicals:  Leonard (QUC).

Points off turnovers:  Austin Peay 19, Queens 15.  Points in the paint:  Queens 36, Austin Peay 32. Second-chance points:  Austin Peay 10, Queens 3.  Fast-break points:  Queens 27, Austin Peay 13.  Bench points:  Austin Peay 23, Queens 22.