PENSACOLA, Fla. – Halee Nieman scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to help UWF erase an 11-point deficit and power the Argonauts to a 79-73 win over Columbus State at the UWF Field House on Saturday.
 
Nieman finished with 25 points and nine rebounds while UWF shot 54 percent in the final period and held CSU to 20 percent. The Argos outscored the Cougars 29-12 in the last 7:49 of the game.
 
Toni Brewer went for 17 points and a game-high 18 rebounds to collect her seventh double-double of the year. Belle Bistrow was the third Argonaut player in double figures, finishing with 18 points and four 3-pointers, including a crucial one with 2:19 left that gave UWF a lead they never lost.
 
UWF outrebounded CSU 55-37 overall and 14-6 in the final period. The 55 boards tied a season high.
 
"It took us a while to get adjusted to their pressure and get settled down but once we did that and executed better, good things started happening," UWF head coach Stephanie Lawrence Yelton said. "We challenged our players to be tougher at halftime."

UWF committed 17 turnovers in the first half but just eight after halftime.
 
"I thought the game changer was when Halee had to play the three position," Yelton added. "We had to make the adjustment to get a bigger guard in there and she was able to run the offense and that shows what type of heart and determination she has, and that she's willing to do whatever it takes for her team to win."
 
UWF led 12-10 after a very slow opening quarter as both teams tried to establish their own styles. CSU led 32-29 at the half and used runs of 7-0 and 5-0 in the third to extend its lead to 11 twice.
 
The Cougars opened the fourth with a jumper to go up 61-50. But the Argos answered with their biggest charge of the game, outscoring CSU 11-0 over a 4-minute stretch to tie it at 61 with 3:45 remaining. CSU led 66-63 before Nieman made a free throw and laid in a bucket off her own miss, and Bistrow hit a three from the corner to give the Argos a 69-66 advantage.
 
Tatiana Wayne tied it with a three of her own before UWF went 6-for-8 at the foul line on its next four possessions and led 75-73 with 36 seconds remaining. CSU's Anna Stewart was whistled for a charge on the next CSU possession and Nieman the same after UWF's timeout that advanced the ball into the frontcourt.
 
Wayne drove the lane and with the clock winding down put up a running layup that was off the mark. Brewer grabbed the rebound and passed to Bistrow who drew a flagrant foul. She made 2-of-4 free throws after a technical was assessed to the Cougars and put the game into a 2-possession situation.
 
Wayne had 21 points while LeeAysia Williamson finished with a game-high 28 on 10-of-21 shooting.  Williamson had 18 of her points in the second quarter alone, netting all but four of the Cougars' scoring in the frame. Both players made four 3-pointers. CSU shot 33 percent in the game.
 
UWF will return to Gulf South Conference play with road games at Alabama Huntsville next Saturday and Lee the following Monday.