PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida men's basketball team defeated Delta State 86-82 in double overtime at home on Thursday night. West Florida (7-15, 3-13 GSC) led by 23 points midway through the second half before DSU used a 36-13 run to end the second half and push the game into overtime.
 
"We played so well in the first half, our team was really in it tonight," head coach Bob Stinnett said. "You have to give Delta State credit for coming back. We missed some free throws that helped put them back in the ball game. While we didn't shoot well from the free throw line tonight, Kent Langham nailed two big free throws to put us over the hump with around seven seconds left."
 
West Florida senior Tyler Funk (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence HS) scored a team high 26 points in the win but fouled out in the first overtime period. Fellow senior Kent Langham (Robertsdale, Ala./Robertsdale HS) stepped up big in the second overtime period and scored five points, including two clutch free throws with seven seconds left in the game.
 
"We just stuck together tonight," Langham said. "We've been down before and tonight our team just had to rally together. We blew that big lead in the second half but we had to come back with that same energy from the first half in overtime and we did. We never gave up on each other and tonight we pulled through."
 
The Argonauts snap a seven-game losing streak with the win and notch the team's third Gulf South Conference win of the season.
 
West Florida held Delta State to only 19 field goal attempts in the first half and went into the halftime break with a 37-27 lead. Funk went 6-for-7 from the field in the first half with 13 points in 18 minutes.
 
The UWF bench came alive in the second overtime after three starters fouled out for the Argonauts. Jason Laatsch (Birmingham, Ala./Briarwood Christian School) hit a three pointer with 3:45 left in the second overtime to give the Argos a three point lead. Langham hit a step back jumper just inside the three point line to extend the lead to five points before DSU answered with a five-point run of their own.
 
Trailing by one with just over a minute in the second overtime period, Laatsch hit a three pointer as the Argos took a two-point lead. Langham would go on to block a DSU three-point attempt before clinching the win with a pair of free throws with seven seconds left on the clock.
 
West Florida will next face GSC opponent Mississippi College at home on Saturday, February 7 at 4 p.m. CT.
 
For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.