PENSACOLA, Fla. – No. 12 UWF men's basketball (26-3) enters the semifinal round of the VisitSpaceCoast.com Gulf South Conference Championships Saturday. The Argos will take on Christian Brothers (21-8) at the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama Mar. 3 at 7:15 p.m.
If UWF beats the Bucs, the team will take on either No. 14 Valdosta State or Delta State in the championship game at 3:30 Sunday. Tickets are $8 for the semifinals and championship game.
ARGOS RISE TO NO. 2 IN LATEST NCAA SOUTH REGION POLL
* UWF has enjoyed the most successful season in program history, winning a program-best 26 games. The team's .897 winning percentage is on pace to be the best in program history. The Argos are currently ranked 12th nationally in the NABC poll and 12th in the D2SIDA poll.
* West Florida, whose 17 regular season conference wins reset the single-season high for the program, is the top GSC team in the South Region poll. Morehouse (24-1), ranked No. 6 in the NABC and No. 9 in the D2SIDA poll, topped the South Region.
NO. 12 UWF DOWNS MONTEVALLO IN OPENING ROUND
* UWF men's basketball (26-3) downed Montevallo (15-15) Tuesday in the UWF Field House 83-74 to earn a spot in the GSC semifinals for the first time since 2013. Marvin Jones and Rashaan Benson combined for 45 points as the Argos won the first GSC Tournament game at home in program history.
* Marvin Jones finished with a season-high 25 points (7-14 FG, 7-13 3-PT FG, 4-6 FT). He also grabbed six rebounds and one steal. Rashaan Benson scored 20 points (5-9, FG, 4-4 3-PT FG, 6-6 FT) while also dishing out a season-best 12 assists. The double-double was his second of 2017-18. Moter Deng scored 15 points (6-12 FG, 3-5 3-PT FG) while also recording three assists and two blocks.
* UWF posted 16 three-pointers in the game, including nine in the second half. The team finished the game just one off the all-time record for most threes in a single contest (17 vs. Carver, Dec. 9, 2003).
ARGOS RISE TO NO. 12 IN D2SIDA, NABC POLLS
* The University of West Florida men's basketball team rose in the latest NABC poll released Tuesday, checking in at No. 12. The team also rose to No. 12 in the latest D2SIDA poll, released Tuesday.
* UWF rose three spots in the latest NABC poll from No. 15 to No. 12. 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.
* 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 twelve straight polls.
* UWF is the highest-ranked GSC team in both polls. Valdosta State, whom the Argos defeated last week, dropped to No. 14 in the D2SIDA poll and in the NABC poll.
UWF VS. CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
* Moter Deng tied his career-high with 26 points to help lead then-No. 14UWF past then-No. 18 Christian Brothers 76-66 at Canale Arena on Jan. 15.
* Deng had 18 on 7-of-8 shooting after halftime, including a stretch of 10 during a 12-2 run that put UWF ahead 55-45 and created some much needed separation in a game that had seen 12 lead changes and seven ties up to that point. He also added a game-high eight rebounds.
* The Argos are 4-11 vs. CBU since 2012 but have won three of the last five 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 this year was the first of head coach Jeff Burkhamer's three-year tenure at UWF. The Argos had not won a contest at CBU from 2012-2017.
* Christian Brothers shot a season-high .614 from the field in defeating North Alabama 96-76 in the tournament's opening round. Joe Laravie was the game's leading scorer, netting 31 points.
* CBU finished the regular season 20-8 and 12-8 in GSC play. The team has won three straight.
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