PENSACOLA, Fla. – University of West Florida men's basketball dropped an exhibition game vs. Florida State 96-56 Friday evening at the Tucker Center on the campus of FSU. Rashaan Benson netted a team-high 17 points, and Jon Brown added nine in the loss.
"I thought we played hard. I thought that was a good thing," said UWF head coach Jeff Burkhamer. "Really disappointed in our execution. I didn't think we handled their pressure very well at all. But those are things we've got to work on. You can tell we've only practiced ten times."
The Seminoles, who are currently ranked No. 15 in the NCAA Division I Coaches Poll and No. 17 in the Associated Press Poll, were led by Christ Koumadje, who poured in 20. Five Seminoles finished in double figures. Florida State knocked down 12 three-pointers to the Argos' seven.
Benson went 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc on his way to 17 points. The preseason All-GSC selection added two assists, one rebound and one steal.
"He just made plays, and he made some shots," Burkhamer said of Benson. "It wasn't because of execution. It was because he had to take it and go make a play. Their defense pushed us so far out and didn't allow us to catch entry passes. It really gave us a lot of problems."
Brown, a transfer from North Alabama, turned in a solid Argo debut, posting nine points, three rebounds and two assists. Henri Ventoniemi scored eight points and grabbed six boards. Jarrett Henderson chipped in five points and eight rebounds. Bryan Chalifoux and Anthony Gomes each scored six points.
"You can tell Jon Brown is a Division I player," said Burkhamer. "He's got a Division I body. He's got a Division I mentality. I think he's going to have a great year for us and have a really good career at West Florida."
The FSU defense held Argo shooting to 20-of-58 (.345) from the field. The Seminoles went 35-of-62 (.565) from the floor for the night.
"It was a great experience for our players," Burkhamer said of the trip to FSU. "Coach Hamilton was very gracious after the game, talking nice things about our team. I really appreciated him allowing us to come over and be part of an exhibition game at Florida State."
UWF opens its regular season schedule Nov. 9 at the South Region Crossover hosted by Albany State. The Argos will take on Fort Valley State at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT.
For the latest on UWF men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter @UWFMensBBall.
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