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ST. LOUIS - Tyshwan Edmondson sank two free throws with 4.2 seconds left to give Austin Peay a 64-62 victory over Saint Louis Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Josh Terry scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Edmondson (6-of-9 FG) tallied 17. Kyle Cassity shot 7-of-10 from the floor and led Saint Louis with 16 points while distributing a game-high five assists. Jordair Jett and Cody Ellis netted nine points apiece for SLU.
The Billikens, who trailed 36-32 at intermission, began the second half with a 22-10 run that gave them an eight-point cushion. After Ellis drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to narrow the Austin Peay advantage to 40-38, Jett tied it with a put-back and gave the Bills a 42-40 edge with a floater. Cassity's conventional 3-point play made it 45-40.
Jett followed with a 10-footer, and Brian Conklin grabbed an offensive rebound and scored. Ellis hit a short turnaround jumper, and Cassity punctuated the run with a 3-pointer that gave the Bills a 54-46 cushion.
However, the Billikens went five straight possessions without scoring, and Edmondson recorded the first six points in an 8-0 Austin Peay flurry that tied it at 54. Cassity's bucket and two Christian Salecich free throws made it 58-54 Saint Louis before Terry's baseline drive cut the SLU lead in half.
Following several empty possessions by both teams, Terry made two free throws to knot the score at 58. John Fraley made the front end of a two-shot foul, but his miss on the second attempt was collected by Terry, whose layup gave APSU a 61-58 edge. Cassity drove and hit a short pull-up in the lane to make it a one-point game. After Melvin Baker sank one of two free throws, Cassity drove for a layup and a 62-62 deadlock.
Austin Peay immediately committed a backcourt turnover, but the Billikens could not take advantage. The Governors then turned it over again, but SLU's fast-break attempt for the lead was thwarted by a blocked shot. A scramble for the rebound resulted in a held ball, and APSU owned the possession arrow. Moments later, Edmondson knocked down the game-winning free throws. Saint Louis had a chance to tie or win, but the Billikens committed a turnover at the buzzer.
Austin Peay led the entire first half, the largest margin being nine points, 24-15, with 9:10 remaining. The Billikens slowly chipped away, slicing the deficit to 31-28 on a Mike McCall 3-pointer at the 3:29 mark. Two Salecich free throws with 1:49 left made it a 3-point game again, 33-30. Austin Peay's Anthony Campbell hit a trey to double the Governors' lead before Ellis buried a jumper to make it 36-32 APSU at the break.
Austin Peay shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the floor in the first half, but Saint Louis kept it close by outscoring the Governors 10-5 from the foul line. The Bills held APSU to a 7-of-18 showing (38.9 percent) in the second half, and the Govs finished at 47.7 percent (21-of-44) for the game. SLU shot 46.8 percent (22-of-47) on the evening but was hampered by a 4-of-18 effort from 3-point range.
APSU earned a 32-23 rebounding advantage. Fraley led all players with seven boards, and Edmondson added six. Ellis led the Billikens with five rebounds.
Saint Louis is back in action Monday, hosting Rockhurst. Tip time at Chaifetz Arena is 7 p.m.
