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December 27, 2016
 
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida men's basketball team will take on Alabama Hunstville on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 2:00 p.m. and North Alabama on Monday, Jan. 2. at 7:30 p.m. Both contests will be hosted at the UWF Field House and will follow the conclusion of the women's contests against the Chargers and Lions.
 
SUCCESSFUL START
- For the second time in the last 19 years, UWF men's basketball has started its season with five consecutive wins. West Florida strung together a program record nine wins in a row to begin the 1997-98 campaign and also started 5-0 to begin the 2012-13 season.
- That 5-0 start allowed for UWF to be one of 15 teams in DII to be undefeated before the Argos suffered its first loss of the season on Dec. 12 against Valdosta State. As of Dec. 20, there are only nine remaining teams in the country with an undefeated record.
 
TOUGH LUCK
- UWF opened conference play with back-to-back double overtime losses to Valdosta State and Union.
-  Since the start of the 2015-16 season, UWF has had seven losses where a contest was decided by three points or less.
 
RASHAAN BENSON IS GOOD
- In each of UWF's double overtime setbacks last week, sophomore guard Rashaan Benson posted a team-high 22 points.
- Benson is 9th in the GSC with 18.3 points per game in conference play and leads the GSC with 5.7 assists per game in GSC contests.
- Benson's 46.2% field goal percentage in GSC play is the ninth best in the league.
- In UWF's double OT contest against Union, Benson recorded a last-second jumper in regulation to tie the score at 70-70. Benson then followed that up with a layup with four seconds remaining in the first OT to tie the game at 81-81 and extend the contest.
 
SAYING GOODBYE TO 2016
- Heading into its NYE matchup with Alabama Huntsville, UWF has recorded 10 wins in 2016 -- improving upon a win total of just four in 2015.
 
CALENDAR YEAR WIN TOTAL
2016 - 10
2015 - 4
2014 -11
2013 - 7
2012 - 16
2011 - 9
2010 - 12
 
PLAYING WITH THE BEST
- As of Dec. 20, the Gulf South Conference is the only men's basketball conference in NCAA Division II where all of its members have overall winning percentages at .500 or better. 
- To exemplify the strength of the GSC, the 12 teams combined own a 51-15 (.785) record against non-conference opponents. 
- UWF was one of three teams (Shorter, Mississippi College) to post undefeated records against early-season non-conference opponents. With Shorter and MC each dropping their first conference game of the season, UWF was the last remaining undefeated team in the conference.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH
- Austin Somerfield, Rashaan Benson, Jason Laatsch and Deangelo Legrier are all inside the GSC's top 30 in scoring, with Somerfield leading the way at #17 with 14 points per game.
- UWF is one of two GSC members with at least four players inside the conference's top 30 scorers, as Valdosta State has five players in that range.
- On the boards, UWF is the only team with three players inside the GSC's top 20 rebounders. Deangelo Legrier leads the way for UWF with 7.5 rebounds per game(10th best in GSC).
 
CONFERENCE'S BEST        
- West Florida currently leads the GSC with 15.5 offensive rebounds per game -- a mark that is the eighth most in Division II.
- West Florida also leads the GSC in turnover margin at 3.4.
- UWF is second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.18), assists per game (15.9) and turnovers forced per game (16.88).
-  The Argos are also 27th in the country in fewest turnovers with 108 on the season. That total is good for third best in the GSC. 
 
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
- Jason Laatsch, 96 career 3-pointers
- Austin Somerfield, 285 career rebounds
- Deangelo Legrier, 90 career blocks
 
INDIVIDUALS AMONGST
CONFERENCE'S BEST
- Jason Laatsch's 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio is the second best in the conference and sits inside the nation's top 60 at 59th best.
- Rashaan Benson's 4.9 assists per game is second most in the GSC, only trailing Sean Cranney of West Alabama who owns a 5.1 assists per game average.
- Deangelo Legrier's 3.63 offensive rebounds per game is 28th most in DII and second most in the GSC.
 
AWAY FROM THE FIELD HOUSE
- With three wins away from the UWF Field House this year (split between two road, one neutral) UWF has eclipsed its win total from 2015-16 in games away from the UWF Field House.
- With wins in each of its first two away games this year, it is the first time that UWF had opened its road schedule with back-to-back wins since the 2009-10 season.  UWF topped Flagler and Colombus State to open 2-0 in road games that year.
 
NOT IN MY HOUSE
- Deangelo Legrier currently ranks third in the GSC and 54th in the nation with 1.88 blocks per game.
- Legrier now has 90 career blocks, which is the fourth most in program history. Blocks became an officially recorded stat prior to the 1994 season.
 
1. 148 - Charles Bouie (2007-09)
2. 111 - Kelly Powe (2000-01)
3. 94 - Anthon Russell (1995-98)
4. 90 - Deangelo Legrier (2013 - present)
 
ALL-TIME AGAINST UAH
- UWF is looking to snap a five-game losing skid against the Chargers in the all-time series, with UWF's last win against UAH coming on Jan. 4, 2014.
- UWF is 15-33 against UAH.
- UAH posted a 2015-16 season where it won the GSC Regular Season Championship and reached the NCAA South Regional Championship match, where it eventually fell to No. 3-seeded Barry 87-83. With a 6-3 record this year, UAH currently stands No. 11 in the last NABC national rankings.
 
ALL-TIME AGAINST UNA
- UWF's first GSC win of the 2015-16 season came against the Lions, where the Argos scored a season-high 96 points in a 96-85 decision over UNA.
- UWF is 16-30 all-time against UNA.
- UNA is 6-3 in 2016-17 with a 1-2 GSC record with losses against top conference foes UAH (91-79) and West Georgia (86-71).
 
IMPACT ADDITIONS
- 29% of UWF's point total this year have come from new additions to the team, led by Darryl Tucker who is averaging 7.6 points per game.
- 38% of UWF's rebound total have come from newcomers as well, which is also led by Tucker who is averaging 7.3 rebounds per game.
- UWF's newcomers, consisting of Herni Ventoniemi, Tucker, Moter Deng, DJ Thorpe and Marvin Jones, have combined to shoot 46.8% (73-156) this season.
- Thorpe leads UWF with 14 steals this year, good for the ninth highest total in the GSC. His 1.8 steals per game is the sixth best in the league.
 
RECORD WATCH
- Senior guard Mario Stramaglia recently moved into second place in UWF's record book for career three-pointers made. Stramaglia passed Noah Haynes for the second-place spot with his second three pointer  against Valdosta State on Dec. 12.
 
CAREER THREE POINT FIELD GOALS
1. 128 - Marcus Tanner (1999-02)
2. 112 - Mario Stramaglia (2013-present)
3. 109 - Sean Ryals (2001-02)
4. 108 - Noah Haynes (1994-95)
5. 107 - Jerry Fogle (1997-98)
 
FIRST-YEAR IMPROVEMENTS
- Last year was head coach Jeff Burkhamer's first year as head coach, and the team saw numerous immediate statistical improvements under Burkhamer's direction.
 
Statistic                    2014-15         2015-16             Diff
Home wins                  3                     5                      +2
Conf wins                    3                     5                      +2
PPG                            71.1                73.4                +2.3
Margin                         -7.5                -5.7                 +1.8
3-PT FG%                   32.20%          36.20%          +4.00%
3-PT FG per game      5                    6.7                  +1.7
FT %                           63.80%          69.50%          +5.70%
Turnovers per game   16.3                13.8                -2.5
Turnover margin         -4.1                 -0.4                 +3.7
Steals per game          4.9                   6.3                 +1.4
 
For information on all UWF athletics, visit GoArgos.com.