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PENSACOLA, Fla. – UWF men's basketball (20-3, 12-3 GSC) will travel to Auburn University Montgomery (9-14, 5-10 GSC) and West Georgia (11-11, 6-9 GSC) Thursday and Saturday with the program record for wins in a single-season within reach. The Argos defeated Lee and Shorter Feb. 1 and Feb. 3 to move to 20 wins overall this season, matching the 1967-68 and 2016-17 teams for most wins in program history.

UWF will meet the Warhawks at the AUM Athletics Complex at 8:00 p.m. on Feb. 8 and then head to Carrollton, Ga. for a 4:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. CT contest at The Coliseum Feb. 10.

"We've put together four really good halves in a row," said UWF head coach Jeff Burkhamer. "Hopefully we'll continue to play well. We go on the road four of our last five. We play at Auburn Montgomery, the only team that's beaten us in the last two years at home, and then we play at West Georgia, a two-point game here at our place. So we know: two tough games and then turn around and go to Mississippi College."

The back-to-back victories this weekend also helped the Argos to clinch a GSC Tournament berth. The program has now qualified for the tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2012-13 and 2013-14.

West Florida got back on track with an 82-74 win over the Lee Flames (12-9, 7-7 GSC) Thursday in the UWF Field House. Darryl Tucker turned in a historic performance, scoring a career-best 33 points (11-14 FG, 1-1 3-PT FG, 10-15 FT) while pulling down 17 rebounds in 29 minutes of work. Henri Ventoniemi added 15 points (5-9 FG, 5-5 FT) in 18 minutes.

The team followed that up with another impressive performance over the weekend. The 20th-ranked UWF men's basketball team had six players in double figures and tied the school record for wins in a season with a 97-55 win over Shorter in Pensacola Saturday.

Henri Ventoniemi and Marvin Jones had 14 apiece to lead UWF. The team shot 61 percent from the floor and 64 percent on 14-of-22 from outside – both of which established season-highs.
 

PROGRAM RECORD FOR WINS

* With just one more win, the Argos will reset the record for most wins in a single season, which they matched last year. The 40 wins over the last two seasons are already the most in a two-year span in program history.

* The Argos currently own a win percentage of .870. If maintained, this number would also be a program record. The other 20-win teams in program history have had win percentages of .864 (1967-68) and .714 (1997-98).

* This year's team has etched its name in the program record book. The Argos have set new standards for longest win streak and longest win streak to start a season. The team has also matched the record for longest home win streak, which began with last year's team.
 

TUCKER CONTINUES BLISTERING PACE

* Darryl Tucker continued an incredible streak of play on the offensive end Thursday and Saturday. The senior turned in a historic performance, scoring a career-best 33 points (11-14 FG, 1-1 3-PT FG, 10-15 FT) while pulling down 17 rebounds in 29 minutes of work Thursday vs. the Flames.

* Tucker's 33 points are tied for the eighth-most in a single game by an Argo in program history. He is the first Argo to score 30 in a game since Austin Somerfield accomplished the feat Jan. 30, 2016. Tucker shot a combined 27 of 30 (.900) from the field vs. North Ala., Ala. Huntsville and Lee.

* Tucker finished with 6 points (3-5 FG) and eight rebounds in 16 minutes of work in the runaway win vs. Shorter.

LAST TIME VS. AUM AND WEST GEORGIA

* UWF men's basketball equaled the program record with its 19th consecutive home win in the UWF Field House Jan. 19, downing West Georgia (8-9, 3-7 GSC) 88-86. UWF had five players score in double figures, and Moter Deng notched his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

* DJ Thorpe equaled Deng for the team-high in points, scoring 15 while posting five assists and four steals. Ventoniemi matched his season-high with his 14 points. Tucker scored in double figures for the fourth straight game. West Georgia was led by Marquill Smith, who scored 27 while pulling in 13 rebounds.

* Jan, 21 proved less kind to the Argos. Looking to reset the program record for consecutive home wins, UWF men's basketball rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit but could not complete the comeback in the UWF Field House, falling to Auburn University Montgomery (8-10, 4-7 GSC) 73-70. Marvin Jones scored a season-high 17 points in the loss. DJ Thorpe added 16, Henri Ventoniemi scored 13, and Darryl Tucker added 11.

* The loss was the first the Argos have suffered since a 69-68 heartbreaker at Lee Jan. 4, and the first the program has lost at home since falling to Alabama Huntsville 76-69 on Dec. 31, 2016.

THORPE ECLIPSES SINGLE SEASON STEALS RECORD

* DJ Thorpe scored 12 points and three assists, two rebounds and one steal Thursday vs. Lee. With the steal, he reset the single-season record for most steals in a season in program history (63).

* Thorpe added two more steals on Saturday vs. Shorter to move to 65 on the season. He leads the GSC with 2.8 steals per game. That is one steal per game more than the closest competition.

Two GSC players are currently tied with 1.8 steals per game for second place on the list.
 

UWF RISE IN NABC, D2SIDA POLLS

* West Florida checked in at No. 17 in the latest NABC poll, released Tuesday. The squad rose three places after checking in at No. 20 last week. The Argos originally entered the NABC Top 25 Dec. 5, when they were ranked No. 25, and have remained in the Top 25 ever since. UWF garnered 159 points in this week's poll.

* West Florida rose eight spots in the D2SIDA poll. The team entered last week in a tie for 25th with Wheeling Jesuit. The Argos checked into the latest poll eight spots better at No. 17.

* The Argos have been ranked in the Top 25 in every D2SIDA poll since Nov. 28, meaning the team has now been ranked in the Top 25 for nine straight polls. UWF garnered 117 points in the latest poll, close to 100 more than last week.

GULF SOUTH STANDINGS

* UWF men's basketball currently sits second in the GSC, two games behind Valdosta State. The Argos will meet the Blazers in the final game of the regular season at Valdosta. West Alabama sits in third at 10-4. Christian Brothers is 9-6, sitting in fourth.

* The Argos and Blazers were the first two teams in the conference to clinch playoff berths.

"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).

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

SUMMER YOUTH CAMP DATES SET

* The 4th annual "Shoot For The Stars" Basketball Camp will held at the University of West Florida from June 4-7 and July 30-Aug. 2, 2018. The application for the camp is now available by clicking HERE.

* UWF men's basketball head coach Jeff Burkhamer will direct the activities. Coach Burkhamer has 30+ years of camp experience and looks forward to sharing his basketball knowledge with local players.

* "I love summer basketball camp and certainly look forward to teaching basketball fundamentals to the youth of Pensacola," said Burkhamer. "I truly believe that 'players' are made in the summer. We want our camps to be a learning situation, but we also want our campers to have fun. I look forward to meeting you and working with you at the "Shoot For The Stars" Basketball Camp – where our goals are higher than ten feet!"

SCOUTING AUBURN MONTGOMERY

* The Warhawks sit at 9-14 overall and 5-10 in GSC play. The team is 7-7 away and 0-2 on neutral floors. AUM is just 2-5 at home this season.

* Auburn Montgomery currently sits 12th in the GSC. Results against Auburn Montgomery count in the league standings, but the team is not eligible for the postseason.

* Junior guard Desmond DeRamus reached the 1,000 career-point mark Feb. 1 in a contest at Miss. College. He averages 15.8 points per game to pace the team. Reagan Eubanks is a close second on the squad in scoring with 15.7 points per game. Four players on the Warhawks average double figures.

* The Warhawks are led in rebounding by Jarrett Croff, who grabs 6.0 boards to go along with 8.5 points per game.

* Opponents average 83.6 points per game vs. AUM. The Warhawks average 77.5 points per game. The team shoots .445 from the floor while allowing opponents to shoot .485.

* The Argos are 3-1 vs. AUM since 2005. The loss in January snapped a three-game win streak vs. the Warhawks. Last year in Montgomery, the Argos downed AUM 87-76.
 

SCOUTING WEST GEORGIA

* West Georgia is 11-11 overall this season. The Wolves are 6-9 in GSC play. At home, they are 7-3, on the road 2-8 and on neutral floors 2-0.

* West Georgia is known as a fast-paced, high-scoring team. They are second in the conference with 85.9 points per game. The team is last in the conference though with 85.9 points per game surrendered.

* The Wolves have the third-worst FG percentage in the conference at .438 and are second-to-last in opponent FG percentage (.484). Opponents shoot the three particularly well against the Wolves. Opponents shoot .389 beyond the arc against West Georgia.

* The Wolves are the best free throw shooting team in the league, knocking down free throws at a .737 clip.

* UWG has one of the better rebounding offenses in the GSC. The team is currently tied for fourth with 38.0 rebounds per game. Opponents grab a lot of boards vs. the Wolves though as well. The team surrenders 40.2 rebounds per contest, the second-highest number in the conference.

* West Georgia has the conference's fourth-best turnover margin at +2.00. The team also averages 3.82 blocks per game, the fourth-best number in the league. They grab the second-most steals in the GSC, trailing only UWF at 7.50.

* Marquill Smith has emerged as one of the best scorers in the Gulf South. He posted 27 points vs. UWF and is second in the conference at 22.1 points per game. Smith supplements that gaudy number with the fifth-most rebounds per game in the GSC (8.2). He is the only player in the GSC top five in both categories.

* West Georgia has another conference top-five scorer in Paul Turner, who posts 19.0 points per game. He scored 19 vs. West Florida on Jan. 19. He is 11th in minutes per game in the conference at 33.9.

* Smith (.477) and Turner (.443) are 14th and 16th respectively in the GSC in FG percentage.

* Aren Ulmer is tied with Rashaan Benson for second in the Gulf South with 5.3 assists per game. Ulmer is tied for second with 1.8 steals per game. He ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.9.

* Karlos Odum is eighth in blocks per game at 1.2. Smith is tied for 11th at 0.9 per game.

* William Sides is tied for seventh in the conference with 2.5 three-point field goals per game.

* UWF is 12-13 vs. West Georgia since 2006. The Argos are 4-11 in Carrollton in the same span. Last year's 85-80 win at West Georgia was the first for the program on the road vs. the Wolves since 2009. UWF has won its last three meetings overall vs. West Georgia. 
 

GSC/NCAA LEADERS

* Darryl Tucker is leads the Gulf South with 9.4 rebounds per game. Tucker is also first in the GSC in field goal percentage at .665. He is tied for sixth in the GSC with 1.3 blocks per game. He is tied for 12th with 16.1 points per game.

* As of Feb. 6, Tucker is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage. He leads all South Region players in the category. He is tied for 37th nationally in rebounds per game and ranks 19th nationally in total rebounds at 216.

* DJ Thorpe is first in the GSC with 2.8 steals per game. Nationally, he ranks fifth as of Feb. 6 in steals per game. He is third nationally with 65 total steals.

* Moter Deng has shot .787 from the line this season. That is the tenth-best mark in the conference. He has shot .511 from the field, which places him fifth in the GSC. UWF is the only team with two players currently in the top five in the conference in field goal percentage.

* Deng and Valdosta's Beau Justice are the only two GSC players currently in the top 10 in both field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

* Rashaan Benson currently ranks tied for second in the GSC with 5.3 assists per game and is fifth in the conference with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.2. He is tied for eighth with 1.5 steals per game. He is tied for 12th at 33.0 minutes per game. He is tied for 37th nationally as of Feb. 6 in assists per game. He is 30th nationally with 121 total assists.

* The Argos are one of only two GSC teams (Shorter) with two players in the top 8 in the conference in steals per game.

* West Florida has surrendered  68.7 points per game so far this year, the second-best mark in the conference. The team's 11.1-point average margin of victory is the second-best mark in the GSC.

* UWF is currently second in the GSC in offensive rebounding with 12.5 per game. The Argos have the second-best turnover margin in the conference at 3.52.

* The Argos lead the conference with 8.48 steals per game. West Florida has held opponents to a .428 shooting mark from the field, the third-lowest percentage in the conference. The Argos average 3.96 blocks per game, the second-highest mark in the conference.

* As of Feb. 6, the Argos are tied for 15th nationally in winning percentage. The team is tied for 25th nationally in steals per game. West Florida is tied for 33rd in scoring defense, 17th in total steals (195), and tied for 30th in scoring margin. The team is 22nd in free throw attempts nationally with exactly 548 . The team is 14th in turnovers forced with 17.3 per game.

#ARGOS#