MORROW, Ga. – The University of West Florida men's basketball team came up just short in a back-and-forth battle on Saturday afternoon, falling 70–68 to Columbus State at The Loch. The Argonauts move to 3–1 on the season after a tightly contested matchup that featured six ties and eight lead changes.
 
West Florida held a 37–34 lead at halftime behind strong early play from Aric Demings, who finished with a team-high 17 points while shooting 8-of-18 from the floor. Elijah Wyche added 12 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists, while Anthony Igiede posted 11 points and five boards.
 
The Argos controlled the paint for much of the afternoon, outscoring the Cougars 32–22 inside, and owned a 39–27 rebounding advantage. Tim Hall Jr. delivered an efficient nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbed four rebounds. Off the bench, Ryan Payne sparked UWF from beyond the arc with two first-half threes.

Despite leading by as many as nine in the first half and holding a 59–55 advantage with just over seven minutes remaining, UWF struggled to slow down Columbus State's late scoring surge. CSU's Marlon Smith and Jordan Mitchell combined for 34 points, including Smith's go-ahead free throws with two seconds left.
 
Igiede's tip-in with 23 seconds remaining tied the game at 68–68, but the Argonauts were unable to get a final stop in the closing seconds.
 
West Florida shot 41.7% from the floor and 42.9% from three, while holding Columbus State to just 38.9% from deep. The difference came at the foul line, where the Cougars finished 7-of-12 compared to UWF's 12-of-17.
 
UWF will travel to Rio Piedra, Puerto Rico next week to participate in the Puerto Rico Classic. The Argonauts will face off against UPR Rio Piedra on Monday, November 24 at 5:45 p.m., followed by UPR Mayaguez on Tuesday, November 25 at 5:45 p.m. Live stats will be available on GoArgos.com.
 
For more information on the UWF men's basketball program, visit GoArgos.com and follow the team on social media at @uwfmbb (Instagram) and @UWFMensBBall (X).