Argos Drop Exhibition with South Alabama, 79-63
Max Hoggard (Photo by Jim Hogue)Hoggard and Thomas lead offense
MOBILE, Ala. – The UWF men’s basketball team fell 79-63 to Division I opponent South Alabama in their exhibition Thursday night. Max Hoggard (Micanopy, Fla./P.K. Yonge HS) and Maurice Thomas (Milton, Fla./Pensacola JC) were the Argonauts’ leading scorers with 15 each, while Thomas led with seven rebounds.
Thomas was 6-for-14 from the floor, while Hoggard scored seven of his points from the free throw line. Jonathan Jackson (Pensacola, Fla./Johnson County CC) and Christopher Evans (Fort Worth, Texas/Hawaii Pacific) joined in double-digit scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Thomas posted two blocks, while Jackson was the UWF assist leader with four. As a team, the Argos were outshot by the Jaguars 32.6 percent to 42.4 percent from the floor, but West Florida was more efficient from outside the arc shooting 42.9 percent to USA’s 25 percent.
The first half looked be promising for the Argos, as they led by as much as five in the half, forcing nine South Alabama turnovers. The teams tangled at 25 nearing the end of the half, but the Jaguars broke the tie at the buzzer to clinch the lead, 28-25.
South Alabama shooters came alive in the second half, shooting over 50 percent from both the floor and beyond the arc. 51 points from the Jaguars proved to be too much for West Florida’s 38.
The Argonauts take to their home court Monday, November 16th at 7pm, facing Columbus State in their season opener.
