PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Florida men's basketball team held off a late push from Lee University to secure a 68–64 Gulf South Conference victory Friday afternoon at the UWF Field House. The Argonauts improved to 18–6 overall and 11–5 in conference play with the win.
 
West Florida built momentum early, opening the game on a 34–25 first-half run and carrying a nine-point advantage into the break. The Argos scored 38 points in the paint while controlling the glass with a 42–38 rebounding edge.
 
Elijah Wyche led all scorers with 16 points while adding nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in a solid all-around performance. Aric Demings followed with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 effort from three-point range, while Tim Hall Jr. chipped in 12 points and two blocks.
 
Lee trimmed the deficit in the second half, cutting the margin to three points in the final stretch of the contest, but West Florida remained composed at the free-throw line to seal the win. The Argonauts finished the game 14-of-22 from the stripe and forced 13 turnovers, converting them into nine points.
 
Ryan Payne added eight points and two steals with two deep triples, while Sano Rutatika logged six points and five rebounds. The Argos have just one homestand left in the regular season.
 
UWF will now travel to Clinton, Mississippi to play Mississippi College on Thursday, February 12. Tipoff is set for 7:30 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).