Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University men’s basketball seeks to continue its strong start to the season when it hosts Northern Illinois University Tuesday at F&M Bank arena. The Governors (6-2) are off to their best start since the 2017-18 season and lead the ASUN Conference in multiple defensive categories.
This matchup features a Governors squad boasting a dominant defensive presence against a Huskies team (3-5) undergoing a complete roster overhaul. Northern Illinois, led by fifth-year head coach Rashon Burno, has already matched its win total from a challenging 6-25 campaign last season. Austin Peay aims to build on its momentum before embarking on a two-game road trip next week.
Govs’ Starting Five solidifying
Through six games, Caleb McCubbin and Collin Parker have started every contest for Austin Peay.Rashaud Marshall has earned starting nods in the last three games at center, while Quan Lax consistently provides an immediate spark off the bench in those same contests.
Dominant Defense Fuels APSU Success
Austin Peay currently leads the ASUN in several key statistical categories: field-goal percentage defense (39.9%), scoring defense (66.5 points per game), scoring margin (+12.8), steals per game (11.8), turnover margin (+5.3), and turnovers forced per game (18.0). The Govs are also second in the conference in fastbreak points per game (16.0) and overall winning percentage (60.0%). Remarkably, Austin Peay has made a three-pointer in 740 consecutive games, a streak dating back to February 21, 2002, against Southeast Missouri.
Scouting the Huskies
Northern Illinois is comprised entirely of newcomers this season.Sophomore guard Makhai Valentine, a transfer from Missouri State, leads the Huskies with 71 points, while freshman Dylan Ducommun is averaging 18.0 points in his two collegiate games.head coach Rashon Burno is in his fifth season at NIU, holding a 42-88 record. The Huskies’ wins this season have come against Louisiana-Monroe, Benedictine College (division III), and Loyola Chicago.
Up Next
Following Tuesday’s game,Austin Peay will travel for back-to-back contests,beginning with a December 3rd matchup against Kent State at 6 p.m. (CT) in kent, Ohio.The Govs will then face UTRGV on December 7th at 1 p.m. in Edinburg, Texas.
