SATURDAY: LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO 
MONDAY: LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The UWF men's basketball team (14-1, 6-1 GSC) will head to Tennessee this weekend for GSC contests at Union and Christian Brothers. The No. 14 Argos will begin the trip Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in Jackson, Tenn. vs. Union (8-7, 2-5 GSC) and then continue on to Memphis to take on No. 18 CBU (13-2, 5-2 GSC) Monday at 4:00 p.m.

The Argos got back in the win column with an 82-70 win over Mississippi College (8-5, 4-4 GSC) Sunday. DJ Thorpe led the squad with 15 points (5-9 FG, 3-5 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT) and Moter Deng notched his second double-double (13 points/11 rebounds) of the season. The team then downed Delta State (7-9, 5-3 GSC) in a crucial matchup that featured two top-of-the-table sides Tuesday. The Argos turned a 35-31 halftime advantage into a 71-54 win. Darryl Tucker scored a game-high 23 points (8-12 FG, 1-1 3-PT FG, 6-7 FT) while grabbing six rebounds, dishing two assists and registering one block. The 54 points allowed were the fewest the Argos have surrendered to an opponent this year.

"Road trips in the Gulf South Conference aren't easy. They're long trips, they're tough places to play," said UWF head coach Jeff Burkhamer. "We know going to Union and Christian Brothers will be challenges. But I think our guys like challenges. I think we'll stay hungry at two places we haven't won yet… We know where we're trying to get to."

Follow along live with the action this weekend on Twitter @UWFMensBBall and through goargos.com.
 

ARGONAUTS WIN VS. MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

* After a 9 of 19 performance for the line in a 69-68 loss at Lee Jan. 4, the Argos stepped up from the stripe in the win over Mississippi College. Perhaps the most impressive stat of the night was UWF's performance on free throw shots. The Argos went a perfect 12 of 12 from the line.

* "I thought we had some really good stretches," said UWF head coach Jeff Burkhamer. "We had some stretches that kind of made us shake our heads at time as coaches. We had enough good stretches, especially in the second half, where we attacked their zone much better. The last ten minutes of the game, we got good shots against their zone. Defensively, we were a little bit better guarding the ball in the second half."

* The Argos reset their season-high for offensive rebounding, registering  18 offensive rebounds. Seven of Deng's 11 boards were on the offensive end. UWF finished 31 of 78 (.397) from the field. The Choctaws shot 26 of 62 (.419) from the field and finished 12 of 24 (.500) from beyond the arc. Mississippi College was led by Donovan Ham, who scored 19 points. The Choctaws finished 6 of 11 (.545) from the line.
 

ARGONAUTS DEFEAT DELTA STATE

* Darryl Tucker finished with 23 points and six rebounds. Marvin Jones netted 15 points plus a season-best four blocks. DJ Thorpe finished the evening with 11 points, a season-high three blocks, three steals and three assists. Deng had 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block while playing all 40 minutes for the first time this year. Rashaan Benson played 38 minutes and registered five points and three steals. The Argos closed the game on 23-7 run.

* The Argos held DSU to 9 of 25 shooting from the field in the second and 21 of 48 shooting overall. UWF shot 27 of 48 from the field in the game. The team sank 9 of 16 three-pointers and 8 of 10 free throws. The .563 percentage from beyond the arc was a season-best for the Argos. The stat was particularly impressive given that Delta State entered the game with the most efficient three-point defense in the GSC, limiting opponents to just over a .300 mark.

* "I thought this was a great win for us," said UWF head coach Jeff Burkhamer. "We played hard on both ends of the floor for both halves. We knew this was a grind-out type game. When you play Delta, I told our guys it's kind of like going to the dentist and getting a root canal. It's just painful, but you have to work your way through it, and you'll be okay. And that's how it was."
 

GULF SOUTH LEADERS

* West Florida is currently tied for first place in the GSC with No. 25 Valdosta State. Both squads are 6-1 in conference play. No. 18 Christian Brothers is third at 5-2. West Alabama and Delta State are tied for fourth at 5-3.


TIME CHANGES AT CHRISTIAN BROTHERS

* Monday's games at Christian Bros. were originally scheduled for 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The women's game has been rescheduled for 2:00 p.m. The men's contest will now be played at 4:00 p.m.
 

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

* The Argos have won 18 straight at home dating back to Jan. 2 last season and are rapidly closing in on the all-time program victory for consecutive home wins (19), which was established during a stretch from Dec. 1967-Dec. 1969. This year's UWF team has already re-written program records for longest overall winning streak and longest winning streak to start a season.

* The Argos did not lose a single game at home in the 2017 calendar year.  

* The Argos are currently tied for the sixth-longest win streak at home in NCAA Division II men's basketball.
 

"IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR…"

* UWF men's basketball enjoyed the best winning percentage of any Gulf South Conference program during the 2017 calendar year. The team went 26-5 during 2017 to finish with a winning percentage of .838 and top the list of GSC teams. Valdosta State came in second at 27-6 (.818).
 

ARGOS RANKED IN TOP 15 IN D2SIDA, NABC POLLS

* The UWF men's basketball program came in at No. 14 in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association Top 25 poll released Jan. 9. The Argos (13-1, 5-1 GSC) also checked in at No. 15 in the NABC Coaches' poll.

* The ranking in the NABC poll is a season-high for the squad. The Argos were most recently ranked No. 16. UWF was the highest-ranked GSC team in both polls. Christian Brothers dropped to No. 18 in the NABC Coaches' poll and fell out of the Top 25 in the D2SIDA Poll.
 

ARGOS PURSUE SINGLE-SEASON PROGRAM RECORDS

* DJ Thorpe has registered 44 steals through 15 games so far this season. The mark puts him well over two-thirds of the way to equaling the Argo record for steals in a single season since 1994, set by Marcus Grant during the 2006-2007 campaign. He posted 62 steals that season.

* Darryl Tucker is currently shooting .622 from the field. If maintained, this percentage would place him fifth all-time in program history for a single season. The record (.673) since 1994 was set by Anthony Russell in 1997-1998. He is averaging 10.1 rebounds per game. If maintained, this pace would rank him fourth in UWF program history since 1994. Tucker has posted 19 blocks already this season and is on pace to finish in the top 10 for a single season in program history in that category. The record holder for a single season is Charles Bouie, who racked up 93 in 2007-2008.

* Rashaan Benson has posted 5.3 assists per game so far this season. If maintained, this average would rank him seventh in program history for a single season. The leader since 1994 for assists per game is Moochie Norris, who averaged 8.9 per contest in 1995-96.
 

SCOUTING UNION

* Union is 8-7 overall and 2-5 in conference play. The team is 5-2 at home, 1-5 away and 2-0 on neutral floors so far this season. The Bulldogs are 2-3 in their last five games. Most recently, the team suffered an 82-78 loss at North Alabama and a 109-90 loss at Alabama Huntsville. The team's two conference wins this season have come against West Georgia and AUM.

* The Bulldogs return two starters (KC Goodwin and Charlie Wilson) from the 2016-17 squad, which went 14-15 overall and 9-13 in conference play. Wilson was selected to the preseason All-GSC team.

* Union leads the GSC in rebounding defense, holding opponents to 32.0 per game. The team is second in the GSC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.29. Union is second in the conference in field goal percentage (.493) and fourth in field goal percentage defense (.430). The Bulldogs are tied for sixth in the conference in scoring defense at 76.5 points per game. The team is fourth in the GSC in three-point offense, scoring from beyond the arc at a .401 clip and averaging just over 10 three-pointers per game.

* Pedro Da Silva is second in the GSC in rebounding, averaging 9.0 per game. He is also second in the conference in FG percentage at .600. UWF's Darryl Tucker leads the conference in both categories. Da Silva is tied for second in the conference with 1.7 blocks per game.

* Nick Velasquez is second in the GSC in three-pointers made per game (3.2) and third in the conference in three-point percentage (.462).

* KC Goodwin is fourth in the conference at 4.9 assists per game. He is tied for fifth in the GSC with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1.

* The Argos are 4-6 vs. Union since 2012. UWF split the twinbill with Union last year, falling 94-91 in Jackson in December before bouncing back for a 64-58 win at home in February. A win at Union would be the first of head coach Jeff Burkhamer's three-year tenure and the first for the program since December 2012.

SCOUTING NO. 18 CHRISTIAN BROTHERS

* CBU enters the weekend at 13-2 overall and 5-2 in GSC play. Christian Bros. is 5-1 at home, 8-1 away and 0-0 on neutral floors. The team has suffered just two losses this season, but both have come after New Year's. The Bucs fell to Auburn Montgomery 77-68 Jan. 2 and lost at Alabama Huntsville 71-51 Jan. 6. The team bounced back with an 81-67 win at home vs. North Alabama Jan. 9. The squad will take on No. 25 Valdosta State Saturday night.

* The Bucs have been ranked as high as No. 5 in the NABC and D2SIDA polls as recently as Jan. 8.

* CBU was picked to win the GSC in a poll of conference coaches during the preseason. Adam Dieball and Jeff Larkin were each selected to the preseason All-GSC team. Dieball was a first team All-GSC selection last season and also earned second team D2CCA honors and All-South Region honors. Larkin was a second-team All-GSC pick last year. Last year's team advanced to the South Regionals for the first time since 2013.

* Christian Bros. leads the GSC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.04. The team is ranked fourth in turnover margin at +1.13. The Bucs are ranked fourth in the conference in scoring defense at 70.1 PPG. The team is tied for fourth in the GSC with FG percentage mark. The team ranks last in opponent FG percentage at .675. The team is tied for third in rebounding defense, holding opponents to 33.6 per game.

* Jeff Larkin currently ranks fourth in the GSC at 19.7 points per game. Adam Dieball is tenth at 16.7 points per game. Dieball and Alex Trentman are tied for 16th in the conference with 5.8 rebounds per game. Joe Laravie is 12th with a .478 field goal percentage and sixth with a .408 three-point percentage. He is tied for fifth with 2.7 three-pointers per game. Larkin is seventh in three-point percentage at .405. He is seventh with 2.5 three-pointers per game. Laravie is seventh with an .815 mark from the line. Larkin is seventh with a .793 mark.

* Dieball leads the conference with 6.4 assists per game. Larkin is tied for ninth at 3.8 assists per game. Brad Miller leads the conference in assist to turnover ratio at 4.7. Dieball is fifth at 2.1.

* Dieball is tied for fifth at 1.4 blocks per game. Larkin is tied for fifth with 1.8 steals per game.

* Larkin and Laravie are first and second in the GSC in minutes played respectively. Larkin averages 37.8 minutes per game. Laravie averages 36.5. Dieball is tenth with 34.0 minutes per game.

* The Argos are 3-11 vs. CBU since 2012 but have won two of the last four matchups vs. the Bucs. Last season, UWF lost on the road at CBU 86-74 Dec. 17, beat CBU 73-68 on Feb. 9 at home and fell in the GSC Tournament to CBU 65-64 in Memphis Feb. 28. The win at CBU would be the first of head coach Jeff Burkhamer's three-year tenure at UWF. The Argos have not won a contest at CBU from 2012-2017.

GSC/NCAA LEADERS

* Darryl Tucker currently leads the GSC with 10.1 rebounds per game. Tucker also leads the GSC in field goal percentage at .622. He is tied for seventh in the GSC with 1.3 blocks per game. He is 13th with 15.9 points per game. Tucker is currently the only player in the conference averaging a double-double.

* As of Jan. 11, Tucker is tied for 13th nationally with 3.67 offensive rebounds per game. He is tied for 22nd nationally with 10.1 rebounds overall per game. He is tied for 20th nationally with 151 total rebounds. He is 49th in NCAA Div. II basketball with 6.40 defensive rebounds per game.

* Moter Deng has hit 41 of 46 free throws so far this year. His .891 mark from the line is the second-best in the conference. As of Jan. 11, he is tied for 34th in the nation with his .891 mark. Deng ranks 11th in the GSC with a field goal percentage of .482.

* DJ Thorpe is first in the GSC with 2.93 steals per game. As of Jan. 11, he is fourth nationally in steals per game. He is tied for fourth nationally with 44 total steals.

* Rashaan Benson currently ranks second in the GSC with 5.3 assists per game and is tied for fifth in the conference with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.1. He is 12th in the conference at 33.1 minutes per game. He is 44th nationally as of Jan. 11 with 5.3 assists per game. He is tied for 36th nationally with 79 total assists.

* West Florida has surrendered 66.5 PPG so far this year, the second-best mark in the conference. The team's 12.2-point average margin of victory is the second-best mark in the GSC.

* UWF is currently second in the GSC in offensive rebounding with 13.3 per game. The Argos have the second-best turnover margin in the GSC, currently at +4.00 per game

* The Argos lead the conference in steals at 8.67 per game. West Florida has held opponents to a .421 shooting mark from the field, the third-lowest percentage in the conference. The team has held opponents to a .334 mark from beyond the arc, the fifth-best mark in the conference. The Argos average 4.27 blocks per game, the second-highest mark in the conference.

* As of Jan. 11, the Argos rank tied for eighth nationally with a .933 winning percentage. The Argos are tied for 21st nationally with +4.00 turnover margin. The team is 25th nationally in steals per game at 8.67. West Florida is 20th in scoring defense, tied for 27th in total steals, is 35th in offensive rebounding, and 36th in scoring margin.

#ARGOS#