PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida men's basketball team dropped a tightly contested Gulf South Conference matchup, falling 81–79 to Trevecca Nazarene on Thursday night at the UWF Field House. The Argos now sit at 17-6 on the season and 10-5 in conference play.
 
West Florida traded blows with the Trojans throughout the evening, with the game tied 10 times and the lead changing hands on 10 occasions. The Argonauts shot 49.2 percent from the floor and knocked down 11 three-pointers, but Trevecca Nazarene converted 23 free throws, including key makes late, to secure the victory.
 
Aric Demings led all scorers for the Argos with 30 points, drilling six three-pointers and adding six assists and six rebounds. Ryan Payne added 14 points, including an incredible four-point play, while Tim Hall Jr. chipped in 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Elijah Wyche accumulated nine boards, four assists, and six points, as the Argos outrebounded Trevecca Nazarene 36–31.
 
The teams entered halftime knotted at 39-39 after a back-and-forth first half. Neither side led by more than three possessions in the opening half.
 
In the second half, the Argonauts built multiple small leads and went ahead 70–66 with under four minutes remaining, but Trevecca responded down the stretch. West Florida had a final look at the buzzer, but the shot rimmed out as the Trojans escaped with the two-point win.
 
UWF will remain at home as they face Lee on Saturday at 4:00 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).