MONTEVALLO, Ala. — West Florida fell to the University of Montevallo 89-77 on Wednesday night at Central State Bank Arena. The Argonauts had a strong bench performance, contributing 54 points in the game.
The game opened with Jaylen Curry scoring a jumper for Montevallo at the 19:22 mark, setting the tone for a tightly contested first half. The Argonauts responded with
Sano Rutatika's layup to tie the game at 2-2. The lead switched hands multiple times, with both teams trading baskets and maintaining a close scoreline.
Elijah Wyche's layup for West Florida tied the game again at 35 with 1:47 remaining, but Brandon Fussell secured a three-pointer for Montevallo at 1:35, giving them a slight edge. The half concluded with Fussell's buzzer-beating jumper, allowing the Falcons to enter the break with a 40-37 lead.
In the second half, Montevallo extended its lead with strong offensive plays, including a jumper by Curry at 16:13 and a 3-pointer from Fussell at 12:44 that pushed the score to 61-43. West Florida attempted to close the gap with a series of free throws and layups, highlighted by
Tim Hall Jr.'s layup at 10:36. Despite a late push, which included a three-pointer by
Ryan Payne at the 23-second mark, the Falcons maintained their advantage, closing the half with a dunk by Derek Moore with just over a minute remaining. The period ended with Montevallo outscoring the Argonauts 49-40.
Elijah Wyche scored 20 points and added seven rebounds, converting 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. Hall Jr. was perfect from the field, scoring 14 points on 5 of 5 shooting, while also recording three steals.
Aric Demings contributed 10 points and added two assists. Payne connected on three 3-pointers to finish with nine points.
In their final game of the regular season, West Florida will travel to face Auburn University Montgomery on Friday, Feb. 27. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the arena in Montgomery, Alabama. 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).
