VALDOSTA, Ga. – The 18th-ranked University of West Florida women's basketball team dominated in every facet of the game on Saturday afternoon against Fort Valley State, cruising to an 88-39 win in Valdosta, Georgia, to wrap up the GSC-SIAC Crossover. UWF improved to 2-0 with the lopsided victory.
After scoring 15 points in just 18 minutes of action on Friday, transfer Halee Nieman leads UWF with 19.5 points per game through the first weekend of play. The Midland, Michigan, native shot 4-10 from the field, including 3-5 from the three-point line, in addition to grabbing nine rebounds and blocking two shots.
But Nieman was far from the only Argonaut standout. Shami Goodman also hit three 3s and scored 15 points and shot a near-perfect 6-7 from the floor, and
Courtney Meyer tallied her second double-double in as many games, leading all players with 6 offensive rebounds, 16 total boards and a pair of blocks.
Shaniqua Magee added 11 points in only 9 minutes of play, shooting 4-9 and grabbing 5 rebounds and 2 steals.
The UWF defense played an all-around outstanding game as well, holding FVSU to just 21 percent shooting and 14 percent from beyond the arc. The Lady Wildcats converted just five field goals in the second half with just one three-pointer, and the Argos turned 16 Fort Valley State turnovers into 16 points on the night.
Another show of the dominant defense could be seen in FVSU's points off turnovers. While UWF committed only seven turnovers, the Lady Wildcats turned those into just two points – two free throws after a West Florida foul with 2:46 remaining in the game.
FVSU never stood a chance against the reigning South Region Champions, as UWF held a 20-2 lead after the first quarter and stretched it to 45-17 by halftime. West Florida held the edge in every category, including bench points (46-16), points in the paint (24-10), offensive rebounds (20-8), and total rebounds (63-33).
Friday marked the first time since December 18, 2014 that UWF hit the 60-rebound mark, when the Argonauts had 60 against Mississippi College, and it was the Argos' highest rebound total since they had 65 in 2012 against Miles on December 17.
The Argos will head to Columbus State on Wednesday, November 15 for a 4:30 tipoff.
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