BOX SCORE

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Tautvydas Kupstas scored a team-high 16 points, but it was not enough as the UWF Men's Basketball Team fell to Union, 79-73, on Thursday night inside the UWF Field House.
 
West Florida falls to 6-15 and 4-13 in league play while Union moves to 11-10 and 8-9 in the Gulf South Conference.  The four-game losing streak for the Argonauts matches their season-high.
 
UWF struggled from the field, shooting only 36 percent from the field and 28 percent from beyond the arc.  Channick Nkoma chipped in 12 of UWF's 30 bench points, while Xavier Washington added 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.

"It was a game of two halves", said UWF Head Coach Justin Mann.  "We had a hard time scoring in the first half and we came out more aggressive in the second half.  We shot the ball well from the (charity) stripe which kept us in the game.  They had some guys hit some big shots late in the game that secured the game late for them."
 
It was a low-scoring first 10 minutes as both teams struggled offensively with the Bulldogs leading by no more than five through that point.  After UWF went up by three on a lay-up by Sano Rutatika at the 8:24 mark, Union used a 13-0 run, capped by an Ahmad Johnson three, to go up 10 with just over six minutes left in the first frame.
 
The Argonauts would cut the deficit to six before the Bulldogs scored seven of the final nine points of the half to go into halftime, up 37-26.  UU extended their lead to 13 early in the second frame, before UWF buckled down and started their comeback.
 
Nkoma's jumper with 10:24 remaining put the game within four, after a 12-4 run by the home team.  UWF would later cut the deficit to three on a free-throw by Rutatika with just over seven minutes left, before the Bulldogs would strike back with six quick points.
 
A three from Kupstas later in the period would cut the deficit to three again before an 11-4 Union run would stretch the visitors lead back to 10 with 2:48 left.  UWF would not get the deficit under five for the rest of the match-up as the Bulldogs hit five free throws to seal the game.

"We have two games in four days", continued Mann.  "We need to get ourselves ready and I want to say thanks to all the fans for coming out tonight.  Go Argos!"
 
Johnson led all scorers with 27 points and six rebounds for the Bulldogs.  Devaki Garr, Jordan Pyke and Jeremiah Littlepage also registered double figures in points for Union as they shot 43 percent as a team.
 
UWF returns to the UWF Field House on Saturday afternoon as they face Christian Brothers at 4 PM.  The Bucs beat Valdosta State, 91-76, on Thursday night.
 
For the latest on the UWF Men's Basketball Team, please visit GoArgos.com or follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @UWFMensBBall.