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PENSACOLA, Fla. – The UWF Men's Basketball Team will return to Pensacola for conference matchups against Lee and Shorter, on Thursday and Saturday.  Tip-off against the Flames is set for 7:30 pm while the matchup with the Hawks is set for 4 pm.  Thursday's game is College Of Health Night, where free pizza will be given out courtesy of Usha Kundu College Of Health.
 
UWF (5-10, 3-8 in the Gulf South Conference) is coming off their biggest win of the season, a 83-72 victory at Alabama Huntsville who was previously the first-place team in the GSC.  After trailing by seven going into halftime, the Argos would outscore the Chargers by 18 points in the second frame, shooting 63 percent from the field during the half.
 
Tautvydas Kupstas led the way off the bench for UWF, with 19 points in 25 minutes while Xavier Washington, Myles Ruth and Sterling White III each scored in double-figures as well. Both White and guard, Rodney Bryant, contributed six of the team's 25 assists, tied for a season high.
 
As a team, UWF is averaging 72.4 points per contest, on 43 percent shooting while they are giving up nearly 73 points per game on 44 percent shooting.  From outside the arc, the Argos are knocking down 31 percent of their three-pointers while opponents are making them at 35 percent mark.  UWF is also averaging 34.5 rebounds per contest, and 7.07 steals per game.
 
Washington leads the Argos and is 14^th in the league in scoring at 14.8 points per contest, while his 7.3 rebounds per game is second most in the conference, only behind Lee Flenor of Valdosta State.  Kupstas is second on the squad in scoring at 11.1 points per game, while his 33 three-pointers are the most on the team.  White III paces the league with a 5.6 assist to turnover margin while Ruth is among the league leaders in steals per contest.
 
Washington A Rebounding Machine: As previously mentioned, Washington is averaging 7.3 rebounds per contest, with his 110 total rebounds tied for third most in the GSC.  On the season, Xavier has two games with double-digit, while he also tallied at least eight rebounds in six other contests.
 
Ruth's Big Weekend: Myles Ruth, a guard from Hillside, New Jersey, had another productive weekend for UWF as he averaged 9.5 points, while tallying 11 assists, one block and five steals. He did most of the damage in the contest against West Alabama, with eight points, seven assists and four steals and 34 minutes.
 
Scouting Lee: The Flames come into the contest at 9-5 overall and 7-5 in league play, tying them with Union for fourth place.  Bubba Smith's team is fourth in the Gulf South Conference with 81 points per contest, while they allow opponents to only score 70 points per night, which is third best in league play.
 
Beyuan Hendricks leads the Flames with 16.4 points per game, while his 85 assists are most on the team and in the league.  Noah Boler-Kyle is another one to watch with the forward scoring 12.5 points and bringing down 5.5 rebounds per contest.  J.J. Barnes and Tim Vaughn are also scoring in double-figures for Lee.
 
Series History: Dating back to 2013, UWF is 5-16 against the Flames.  The teams last meet on November 27, 2023 with Lee taking an 86-73 victory behind 32 points from Boler-Kyle.  UWF last beat the Flames on December 12, 2020, as Tarik Mckelphin sparked a 79-66 win with 32 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
 
Scouting Shorter: The Hawks come into the matchup in last place in the GSC with a record of 3-13 and 1-11 in league play.  SU is averaging 75 points per contest, good enough for ninth in the league while they are allowing opponents to score 82.3 points per contest, second to last in league action.
 
Gary Clay Jr. leads the way offensively with 14.5 points per game on 45 percent shooting, with Landon Tillman and Ricky Knight Jr. adding over 11 points per game as well.  Tillman is one to watch defensively as the guard has a team-high 22 steals, with six coming in a contest against Valdosta State in November.
 
Series History: Since 2013, UWF is 15-8 against the Hawks, which includes a 8-4 record in Pensacola.  Shorter beat UWF back in November, 78-73, behind 19 points from Knight Jr.  UWF last beat the Hawks in January 2023, with Rodney Bryant and Channick Nkoma combining for five points and three rebounds.
 
For the latest on the UWF Men's Basketball Team, please visit GoArgos.com or follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @UWFMensBBall.