FORT MYERS, Fla. (Interstat) — Zyree Collins scored 25 points to lead Austin Peay to an 82-71 victory over Florida Gulf Coast in an ASUN Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Alico Arena. The Governors built a 42-33 halftime lead and maintained control throughout the second half. Collins, who added four assists, keyed the win. JR Konieczny led the Eagles with 20 points. Austin Peay shot 14 for 31 from 3-point range and forced 14 turnovers. The Governors improved to 9-5 overall. Florida Gulf Coast fell to 7-9.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Interstat) — Zyree Collins scored 25 points and Austin Peay used a dominant first-half shooting performance to build a lead it would never relinquish, defeating Florida Gulf Coast 82-71 in an ASUN Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Alico Arena. The Governors (9-5, 2-0 ASUN) connected on 10 three-pointers before halftime, racing to a nine-point lead at the break and holding off every Eagles’ push in the second half to secure their third consecutive victory. The most critical stretch of the game came late in the first half. Leading 24-21, Austin Peay unleashed a decisive 18-5 run over the final 4:45 before intermission. The surge was fueled by a barrage of three-pointers, including two from Collins and one from Anton Brookshire, transforming a tight contest into a 42-33 halftime advantage. The Governors shot 14 of 31 from beyond the arc for the game, consistently finding answers whenever Florida Gulf Coast threatened. Collins, a junior guard from St. Louis, Missouri, led all scorers, adding four assists in 38 minutes. He was supported by a balanced offensive effort as Tate McCubbin scored 15 points, Brookshire added 12 off the bench, and Collin Parker chipped in 11 points and four assists. Rashaud Marshall contributed nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Florida Gulf Coast (7-9, 1-1) was led by J.R. Konieczny with 20 points and Jordan Ellerbee with 16. The Eagles shot a respectable 46.4% from the field but were hampered by 14 turnovers and a stark disparity in three-point production, making only 8 of 24 attempts. Austin Peay converted those turnovers into 16 points and also held a 21-8 edge in fast-break points. The Eagles opened the second half with a quick 7-0 spurt, cutting the deficit to 42-40, but could never draw even. Each time Florida Gulf Coast closed the gap, Austin Peay responded, often with a three-pointer. A driving layup by Ellerbee brought the Eagles within 64-60 with 6:38 remaining, but the Governors scored the next five points to re-establish control and kept the lead in double digits for the final three minutes. Austin Peay’s offensive efficiency was key, scoring 82 points on just 69 possessions for an offensive rating of 119.1. Florida Gulf Coast managed 71 points on 70 possessions, a rating of 101.3. The Governors also made 18 of 25 free throws, while the Eagles went 11 of 17 from the line. The announced attendance was 1,762. The result defied the pregame statistical projections, which heavily favored the Eagles at home. Austin Peay continues its Florida road trip at Stetson on Saturday. Florida Gulf Coast remains at home to face Lipscomb on Saturday.

Preview: Austin Peay Governors at Florida Gulf Coast Eagles FORT MYERS, Fla. (Interstat) — A pair of ASUN Conference men’s basketball teams trending in opposite directions will meet Thursday night when the Austin Peay Governors visit the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles at Alico Arena. Austin Peay (8-5) enters on a four-game winning streak, including its first two conference victories last week. The Governors edged Jacksonville 71-68 on Saturday and routed North Florida 102-83 on New Year’s Day. Their momentum contrasts with Florida Gulf Coast (7-8), which has split its first two league games, falling 85-83 at Central Arkansas before a 72-55 win at North Alabama on Saturday. The Governors are fueled by guard Zyree Collins, who is coming off a 23-point performance in 31 minutes against Jacksonville. Collins has been a consistent scorer, dropping 25 points in a narrow win over East Tennessee State last month. He will be a primary focus for an FGCU defense seeking consistency. The Eagles will counter with forward Isaiah Malone, a force in the paint. Malone is fresh from an 11-point, 8-rebound effort at North Alabama and recorded a dominant 15-point, 14-rebound, 6-block performance in a blowout of Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 28. His interior presence will test an Austin Peay frontcourt that features Rashaud Marshall, who had 16 points and two blocks in the Jacksonville win. Austin Peay’s offense has found a rhythm during its streak, averaging 88.3 points over the last three contests. Florida Gulf Coast has struggled at times against high-major competition, with losses to UCF and New Mexico, but has shown resilience at home, boasting a 5-2 record at Alico Arena this season. This matchup is the first of a regular-season series between the programs, with the Eagles scheduled to visit Clarksville, Tennessee, on Jan. 22. The game tips off at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, as both teams look to establish an early foothold in the ASUN standings.