Austin Peay is the last remaining Division I program from the state of Tennessee still playing basketball this deep into the March. Just like we all predicted.
The Governors (19-14) will face Illinois-Chicago (18-15) in the quarterfinals of the CollegeInsider.com tournament at the Dunn Center Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Flames, who finished third in the Horizon League standings, knocked off St. Francis in the opening round of the CIT, winning 84-61. The Govs took care of business against Louisiana-Monroe last Thursday, en route to an 80-66 victory. The winner of Wednesday's matchup advances to the semifinals of the CIT, which will be played on March 28.
Here are three things to watch for in the game.
20 win season in reach
The 20-win mark is considered to be a target number for wins in a season, and Matt Figger has a chance to reach that figure in his first season. A win over the Flames would give the Govs a record of 20-14, which would be the program's first 20-win season since 2010-11, and 11th since joining the Ohio Valley Conference.
Balanced scoring awaits Govs
UIC will be without leading scorer Dikembe Dixson in its game vs. Austin Peay. On March. 14, Dixson announced his decision to pursue a professional career and hire an agent. But even without Dixson's presence, the Flames were still hot last week. The team shot 55 percent from the field and over 41 percent from the three-point line. All five starters scored in double figures against St. Francis, and senior forward Clint Robinson dropped 15 points in 18 minutes off the bench. The Flames will look for a similar offensive output against Austin Peay.
Govs bigs dominate in different ways
Austin Peay has relied on the services of All-OVC forwards Averyl Ugba and Terry Taylor all year, and that remained true against Louisiana-Monroe. Ugba scored 27 points, nailed two 3-pointers and grabbed four rebounds in the win, while Taylor played a secondary role, scoring 11 points and hauling in 15 rebounds. These two have led the way for Austin Peay this season, often contributing in a multitude of ways. The Govs will need their versatile games again vs. UIC.
The Governors (19-14) will face Illinois-Chicago (18-15) in the quarterfinals of the CollegeInsider.com tournament at the Dunn Center Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Flames, who finished third in the Horizon League standings, knocked off St. Francis in the opening round of the CIT, winning 84-61. The Govs took care of business against Louisiana-Monroe last Thursday, en route to an 80-66 victory. The winner of Wednesday's matchup advances to the semifinals of the CIT, which will be played on March 28.
Here are three things to watch for in the game.
20 win season in reach
The 20-win mark is considered to be a target number for wins in a season, and Matt Figger has a chance to reach that figure in his first season. A win over the Flames would give the Govs a record of 20-14, which would be the program's first 20-win season since 2010-11, and 11th since joining the Ohio Valley Conference.
Balanced scoring awaits Govs
UIC will be without leading scorer Dikembe Dixson in its game vs. Austin Peay. On March. 14, Dixson announced his decision to pursue a professional career and hire an agent. But even without Dixson's presence, the Flames were still hot last week. The team shot 55 percent from the field and over 41 percent from the three-point line. All five starters scored in double figures against St. Francis, and senior forward Clint Robinson dropped 15 points in 18 minutes off the bench. The Flames will look for a similar offensive output against Austin Peay.
Govs bigs dominate in different ways
Austin Peay has relied on the services of All-OVC forwards Averyl Ugba and Terry Taylor all year, and that remained true against Louisiana-Monroe. Ugba scored 27 points, nailed two 3-pointers and grabbed four rebounds in the win, while Taylor played a secondary role, scoring 11 points and hauling in 15 rebounds. These two have led the way for Austin Peay this season, often contributing in a multitude of ways. The Govs will need their versatile games again vs. UIC.
