NC Tennessee News

Four scored in double-figures for the Austin Peay State University men's basketball team – led by 18 points from Sean Durugordon – but it was not enough and the Governors fell to Central Arkansas, 76-69, in ASUN Conference play, Saturday, at the Farris Center.

Durugordon also grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds for Austin Peay (8-19, 2-12 ASUN), narrowly missing his fifth double-double of the season. Rodrique Massenat connected on a pair of three-pointers en route to a career-high 14 points while Elijah Hutchins-Everett and Shon Robinson each scored 10 points to round out the double-figure scorers for the Govs. 

Eddy Kayouloud led Central Arkansas (9-18, 4-10 ASUN) with a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double. Camren Hunter added 13 points for the Bears while Elias Cato and VJ Reeves scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, for UCA.

A back-and-forth affair early, the Govs and Bears were tied at 23 with 8:15 left to play in the first period. But Central Arkansas went on a 13-1 run and built a 12-point lead, 36-24, with 3:05 left in the opening half. Back-to-back layups from Durugordon and Jalen Ware were able to get the deficit back to single digits, but the Governors trailed, 38-30, at the intermission. 

Central Arkansas opened the second period on an 8-0 run and pushed its advantage to 14 points before Robinson scored four-straight points to bring the Govs' deficit back to 10 points, 44-34, with 17:38 to play. After a Drew Calderon jumper cut the UCA lead back to single digits, 48-39, at the 15:29 mark, the Bears went on a 6-0 run and pushed their lead to 15 points – the biggest of the day – when they led 54-39 with 13:21 remaining.

The Governors did not go away and were able to get the Central Arkansas advantage down to just six points on three separate occasions in the final 10 minutes of the contest, but they would get no closer and dropped a seven-point game to UCA on the road. 

The Difference 

Central Arkansas went 28-for-59 from the floor, that's a 47.5 percent clip led by a 10-for-12 (.833) performance from Eddy Kayouloud. It's tough to win on the road, especially against a hot-shooting team. 

Notably 

• Austin Peay outrebounded Central Arkansas, 39-35, and outscored the Bears, 21-14 on second-chance points.
• The Govs reserves outscored the Central Arkansas bench, 29-21.
• Sean Durugordon led Austin Peay with 18 points, it was his team-leading 19th game in double-figures and his team-leading 13th time as the leading scorer.
• Durugordon also grabbed a team-best nine rebounds, it was the team-leading 13th time he has led the Govs on the glass.
• Rodrique Massenat scored a career-high 14 points, it was his second game in double-figures this season.
• Elijah Hutchins-Everett scored in double-figures for the 16th time with 10 points. 
• Shon Robinson also scored 10 points, his seventh game in double-figures. 
• Carlos Paez led the Governors with three assists, it was the 17th time this season and the 67th time in his career he has led the team in assists. 
• Robinson and Kelechi Okworogwo each blocked two shots in the contest. 

Up Next 

With just four regular-season games left to play, Austin Peay returns home for the final two men's basketball games in the Winfield Dunn Center when they host a 7 p.m., Feb. 16 game against Jacksonville and a 3:30 p.m., Feb. 18 game against North Florida.

Original source can be found here