Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Semifinals: No. 1 Austin Peay got 19 points from Fernandez Lockett and overcame a five-point second-half deficit to defeat pesky No. 5 Samford 65-55 Friday night and advance to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament’s final. The Governors turned the game around when they went on an 11-2 run midway through the second half to make the score 48-44. They never trailed again. Austin Peay will face No. 2 Eastern Kentucky in the final Saturday. Randall Gulina led the Bulldogs with 21 points.
Eastern Kentucky hit all its free throws in the game’s final minutes, including two with 4.9 seconds left, and was able to hold off No. 3 Tennessee Tech 57-54 and advance to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament’s final Saturday. The Golden Eagles stayed close throughout the second half, getting as near as one point but could not overtake the lead. After Colonel guard Mike Rose hit a couple of clutch free throws with less than five seconds left in the game, Anthony Fisher missed a potential game-tying three-pointer as the final horn blew, sealing the Eagles’ fate. Rose and Adam Leonard scored 16 points apiece for the Colonels. Fisher and Belton Rivers led Tennessee Tech with 13 points each. [3/02/07]
