Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship: No. 1 Austin Peay’s valiant efforts went to waste as reserve Josh Taylor made a layup with 2.9 seconds left for No. 2 Eastern Kentucky to give his team a hard-fought 63-62 victory and the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament crown. The championship gives Eastern Kentucky its seventh NCAA tournament berth.
Fighting back from a first-half deficit and a second-half dry spell that saw them clang 13 straight shots, the Governors took a brief 62-61 lead after Wes Channels hit two free throws with 21.8 seconds left in the game. The Colonels then lost the ball out of bounds with 6.6 seconds to go but retained possession, setting up the stage for Taylor’s game-winner. Austin Peay’s Derek Wright’s three-pointer at the buzzer missed. Guard Mike Rose scored 19 points to lead the Colonels. OVC Player of the Year Drake Reed had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Austin Peay. [3/03/07]
