Clarksville, TN - The Mighty Oaks basketball team traveled to Clarksville, Tennessee, to take on NCAA Division I opponent Austin Peay State University. The game was an exhibition game for OCU, while serving as the regular season opener for the Governors.
Lee Moore, in his first game on the sidelines as OCU men's basketball head coach, started five familiar faces, as senior
Tyler Toopes, juniors
Nathaniel Schmittler and
Kase Robinson, and sophomores
J.D. Hoover and
Jacob Sanford got the starting nod. By the end of the game, every player on the Oakland City roster
After the Governors scored the first three points of the game, the Oaks fought back, trading baskets until they found themselves with a 6-5 lead after two minutes of play. Unfortunately, it would be the last time OCU would have the advantage on the scoreboard. However, the Mighty Oaks were able to stay within striking distance, trailing by just 10 points, 33-23, with just under seven minutes left in the opening half of play.
APSU used a 16-2 run, over the next four minutes, to increase their lead to 24 points, with the score reading 49-25, with three minutes to go until halftime, but the Oaks responded by outscoring the Govs 10-7, including the final four points of the opening frame, to enter the locker room down 56-35.
Both teams traded buckets to open the second half, sending the score to 65-44 after four and a half minutes. But the size and athleticism of the Governors proved to be more than the Oaks could overcome, as Austin Peay slowly built on their lead, winning by the final score of 110-67.
Tyler Toopes led all scorers in the game, scoring 21 points in his 35 minutes of action, making 8-17 from the field, including 1-3 from three point range, while scoring on 4-7 from the foul line.
Nathaniel Schmittler had a double-double for the Oaks, notching 14 points to go with a game high 12 rebounds.
Kase Robinson added eight points and a game-best four steals, while
DJ Redding and
Trevor Eppert each scored six points in the loss.
Terry Taylor had 21 for the Governors, on 10-16 shooting, followed by Jordyn Adams, who posted 20 counters, making 9-17 of his shots. Sita Conteh added 17 points, while hauling in a team high nine rebounds, while Antwuan Butler added 13. Sam DeVault scored 12 and Reginald Gee added 11, as six Governors reached double figures in the scoring column.
As a team, OCU shot 27-69 (39.1%) from the field, including 3-17 (17.6%) from three point range. APSU connected on 46-82 (56.1%) of their shot attempts, going 5-23 (21.7%) from beyond the arc. The Oaks made 10-17 (58.8%) from the foul line, compared to 13-19 (68.4%) for the Governonrs.
The Oaks trailed 51-34 in rebounding, including a 16-12 deficit on the offensive glass. OCU handed out 12 assists, while committing 24 turnovers, compared to 20 assists and 13 turnovers for the host Govs.
Next up for the Oakland City University men's basketball team will be the Region Crossover Tournament, hosted by Hillsdale College, in Hillsdale, Michigan. OCU will open their regular season against Malone University on Friday, November 8, tipping off at 1:30 pm, followed by a matchup against Hillsdale on Saturday, November 9, starting at 6:00 pm.
