By Bill Vilona
GoArgos.com Senior Writer 
 
A year ago this time, both basketball teams at the University of West Florida were just trying to survive the season. 

There were constant tests to monitor the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Players practiced and went home alone, just like so much else in their college life. Home games were played in a near-empty setting at the UWF Field House. 

"It was very difficult for players to get excited about playing," said Argos men's basketball coach Jeff Burkhamer.

The fun is back for both teams. So is a winning feeling. 

In another special Saturday for Argos' basketball, the UWF women's team pulled away from Auburn-Montgomery 76-62 for a ninth-consecutive win and attained the best start in program history with a 9-1 record.

The UWF men followed at the UWF Field House by leading from tip-off to final buzzer in a 74-69 win against AUM that pushed the Argos to 10-1 and 4-0 in the Gulf South Conference. The only team with a better start was the one in 2017-18 which finished 28-4 and made the only NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in school history. 

After both programs sustained back-to-back losing seasons, they are now a combined 19-2 with the best set of records in the GSC heading into Monday's home games against Montevallo – the final set before Christmas break.

"This has been amazing," said UWF women's coach Stephanie Lawrence Yelton, reflecting on her team's progress. "Last year we were 9-10. The year before, 8-20.  We are knocking on the door (now) of that 10th win and we're still in December."

Both teams are doing it with new players and plenty of young faces. The men have a combined nine freshmen and sophomores on their roster. The women have seven.  

Both have utilized their depth to get balanced scoring. 

"We knew after last season that we were really missing some pieces on our roster at key positions," said Yelton, whose team surged into a 45-33 halftime lead for a smooth win. "And we had to go out and find those and get them here.

"We have three new kids in the starting lineup and they are filling big holes we had on our roster last year. So we knew this team be good.. We didn't know how early we'd have success. 

"The reason it happened faster is because of the personalities on our teams. Cohesion has come together sooner than we thought and really the sky is the limit for this team.
 
One of those newcomers, senior transfer Jaclyn Jarnot, who played her first three years at North Dakota, produced her eighth double-double on Saturday with a team-high 21 points and 15 rebounds. She hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to push UWF back to a double-digit lead. 

Senior Peyton Lewis, who joined UWF in 2019, came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points. 

"We have been working really hard in practice and I think that is just rolling over into the games," Lewis said. "The attitudes on this team and just the way we all mesh together… it's been really fun seeing it unfold."
Freshman Zoe Piller added 11 points for UWF. 

After the Argos lost their season-opener against Benedict (80-74) back on Nov. 12 in a tournament at Valdosta State, their win Saturday against AUM was the fifth by more than 10 points. 

"Just super proud of the performance we put on (Saturday)," Yelton said. "We weathered some storms, we made some corrections mid-game and our players really honed-in and made those corrections and the score showed it. We are a good team when we play together."

In a similar way, Burkhamer and his staff brought in new additions who have made a big impact for the UWF men.

Point guard Brandon Burford, who joined the team before this season, led the way Saturday with 19 points and four assists. Another newcomer, Jejuan Weatherspoon made a pair of clutch free throws with 54 seconds left, after AUM cut the deficit to 70-68. 

The Argos made only one field goal in the final five minutes after opening a double-digit lead. They won with free throws and solid defense. 

"A lot of our games have been kinda like that," Burford said. "But we'll take all the wins we can get. Any win is a good win. We have to work on staying composed in those situations and we'll continue to work on it.

"But we made enough shots, got enough stops and made enough free throws to win the game and we'll take that."
 
Having fans back at the UWF Field House, a student pep band during earlier games, other activities like Santa Claus making an appearance Saturday has added to the welcome experience for UWF players. 

"Last year we were limited to 50 or 60 people (for attendance). And what ended up happening, people found that out and then no one came," Burkhamer. "I really think it cost us a couple games last year. We were playing games that were basically scrimmages."

Yelton said the logistical challenges of just practicing and traveling took its toll on her team. For the first time in her entire basketball career, she had to worry how to space players on a bus trip and prepare a seating chart just to travel.

"As a coach last year, I had to coach the team differently," she said. "Players were stressed out. We had anxiety issues. They were getting a Q-Tip (Covid test) shoved up their nose three times a week. 

"And we are sitting there waiting for the results of that to see if we can even practice, get on a bus or even play a basketball. And then the ramifications of wondering if someone is sick, how detrimental is that going to be to their health 

"Putting a round ball into a hoop? That was the least of our problems."

A sense of normalcy has come back to accompany winning. UWF women will face Montevallo on Monday at 5:30 p.m, followed by the men's game at the UWF Field House. It will be the final home games until the second weekend in January. 

"There's nothing better than having fans out there. There's nothing like hearing people hoot and holler," Peyton Lewis said.

This season, UWF has provided plenty to cheer.