JACKSON, Tenn. – The University of West Florida men's basketball team opened conference action with a 64-53 win at Union on Saturday afternoon, behind a double-double from Jon Brown. The reigning Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year went for 17 points and 12 rebounds on 7-16 shooting, and Daniel Sofield scored 16 points with 4 threes.
 
West Florida (1-4, 1-0 GSC) put together an outstanding defensive effort and held the Bulldogs to season lows with 53 points, a .345 shooting percentage, and a .235 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
 
The Argonauts jumped out to a 16-11 lead at the 10-minute mark in the first half and stretched the lead to as much as 12 in the opening 20 minutes. UWF's defense was especially strong in the first half and kept UU to 25 percent shooting.
 
But the story changed in the second half. West Florida shot 51 percent from the field, shot 43 percent from three, and scored 39 points. A three-pointer from Lawrence Williams extended UWF's lead to 11 points in the first four minutes of the second half, and UWF led by as many as 13 points four different times in the contest.
 
Conor Flanagan added 13 points and Williams scored 9. West Florida set season highs with a .464 shooting percentage, a .400 three-point percentage, and 64 points.
 
UWF outscored Union in the paint 22-18 and on second-chance efforts 12-5.
 
West Florida will head to Memphis for a game against Christian Brothers on Monday, set for a 7:30 pm tipoff. Fans can keep up with the team by following @UWFMensBBall on Twitter.