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PENSACOLA, Fla. – UWF men's basketball (6-0) opened the Valdosta State Thanksgiving Classic with a 79-66 win over Webber International University (3-3, 1-1 TSC) Saturday at The Complex in Valdosta, Ga. DJ Thorpe and Darryl Tucker each notched 18 points in the win, and the Argos matched their season-high with 17 offensive rebounds.
"I didn't think we played as well as we've played this season, but our effort was good and we did play well in the last four minutes," said UWF head coach Jeff Burkhamer. "It's good to get a win like this where you don't play your best but are able to grind it out and hold a team to 20 points below their season average."
West Florida trailed 7-6 out of the gate but quickly exploded for a 16-5 run that left them with a 10-point lead. The well-balanced Argo attack in the first featured six points and seven rebounds from Moter Deng. Tucker notched nine points while adding five rebounds and two blocks. Rashaan Benson chipped in seven points, two rebounds and one assist in the first. Shondell Jackson finished the first half with five points.
The Argos led for 18:07 of the game's first 20 minutes. UWF grabbed ten offensive rebounds in the first half and held Webber to 0-12 shooting from beyond the arc. UWF forced twelve Warrior turnovers and posted a 9-0 advantage on second chance points. The Argos enjoyed a 14-8 advantage on points in the paint in the first half.
The Warriors came out strong in the second, quickly igniting a 12-1 run that trimmed the advantage to 40-37 just past the four-minute mark. UWF was finally able to open up what would prove to be a tight second half with a run of 18-10 to close the game after leading 61-56 with just over five minutes remaining.
Thorpe would prove to be key for the Argos in the second, scoring 14 to finish with 18 points (5-11 FG, 7-11 FT) after a relatively quiet scoring performance in the first.
"He attacked harder and better," Burkhamer said of Thorpe's second half performance. "And he was able to make some plays in the second half."
Tucker registered nine points in the second to finish with 18 points (7-8 FG, 4-7 FT) to go along with 9 rebounds. Benson finished the afternoon with 11 points and 3 rebounds. Deng narrowly missed a double-double, posting eight points and nine boards. Henri Ventoniemi enjoyed a productive second to total nine points and six rebounds. Shondell Jackson also posted nine points to go along with three rebounds.
The Argos finished the contest 27-of-61 (44.3%) from the field vs. 17-of-47 (36.2%) for Webber. The Warriors were led by Osandai Vaughn, who notched 27 points (8-17 FG, 5-10 3-PT FG) in 31 minutes.
UWF grabbed 17 offensive rebounds in a game for the third time this season. The Argonauts defeated Webber 40-34 on the glass overall. UWF outscored the Warriors 17-2 on second chance points. UWF led for more than 38 of the game's 40 minutes.
The win was the 14th straight in non-conference play for UWF. The team will look to keep that streak going tomorrow at the Thanksgiving Classic vs. Fayetteville State.
"It's a quick turnaround," said Burkhamer. "We're playing a very athletic team...We'll have to have the same effort but play much better to beat Fayetteville State."
Tip-off in The Complex is slated for 1:00 p.m. Central Time.
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