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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Host Austin Peay shot 60 percent from the floor en route to an 80-65 victory over the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team Thursday night in the Dunn Center.

Center John Fraley paced the Governors (4-13, 1-3 OVC) with a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds. Melvin Baker added 16 points as Austin Peay defeated Eastern Kentucky for the eighth straight time in Clarksville.

Senior Jaron Jones led the Colonels (10-8, 4-2) with 17 points. Meanwhile, freshman Timmy Knipp added 11 tallies and a season-best seven boards.

Austin Peay took a 38-31 lead into halftime and extended that cushion to 11 early in the second half following a Baker lay-in. However, three-pointers from Jones and junior Mike DiNunno helped the Colonels fight back to within one point at 46-45. Two minutes later, a Joshua Jones putback gave EKU its first lead since the opening two minutes of the contest at 49-48.

From there, the Governors hit Eastern with a 25-2 run to pull away for their first conference win of the season. Fraley scored nine consecutive points for APSU during that stretch and then capped the run with a lay-up with 3:48 left to make the score, 73-51.

The Colonels were whistled for 18 fouls in the second half, including 10 of the first 11 miscues. Austin Peay capitalized at the free throw line by knocking down 15-of-25 (60 percent) charity shots. EKU did not make a free throw the entire contest (0-for-5).

Eastern Kentucky concludes its two-game road swing Saturday, Jan. 14 at OVC rival Morehead State. Tip time is set for 7:30 p.m.