Argos Slip up in Overtime to Delta State, 72-70

February 4, 2012

West Florida Loss Gives Statesmen First GSC Win

Coach Stinnett looks on as his Argos drop their second straight (Photo by Chris Nelson).

Related Item: Box Score

CLEVELAND, Miss. – In an overtime thriller that saw 19 lead changes and 17 ties, the University of West Florida took a 72-70 loss to Gulf South Conference opponent Delta State.

The Argonaut loss snaps a 13-game losing streak for the Statesmen and gives DSU their first conference win of the 2011-12 season. Coach Stinnett’s squad is now 14-9 on the year and below .500 in the league at 4-5. Delta State improves to 5-15 overall and 1-8 in conference play.

Delta State struck first in the overtime period to go up 68-66 on a Cornell Knight jumper. Martell Buie (Orlando, Fla./Wallace State CC-Hanceville) then tied it up with a layup before Anthony Sims (Mobile, Ala./Faulkner State CC) put the Argos on top, 70-68. But four straight points by DSU gave the Statesmen the lead for good as the Argos failed to score in the final 3:04 of the game.

The Argos had four shots to tie it up before the final buzzer but couldn’t find the bottom of the net.

After Marquis Mathis (Columbus, Ohio/Cincinnati State CC) won the opening tip, the Argos struck first with a Jamar Moore(Coolidge, Ga./Faulkner State CC) layup to make it 2-0. Delta State then caught the lead and held it until the 14:06 mark when Mathis put UWF back on top by one.

With the Statesmen up by two with nine ticks left on the clock before the half, an Arthur Jackson turnover turned into a Moore buzzer beater as UWF tied the game for the fifth time, 35-35.

Moore again put the Argos up by two coming into the second period, but it was short lived as Knight tied it up and Ryan Smith put Delta State back up by two, 39-37. Mike Whisman (Kissimmee, Fla./Celebration HS) tied it up at 47 with 13:21 on the clock as the teams then battled back-and-forth to eight ties and four lead changes before Marqueys Brown put DSU up by two with 1:25 to go.

Buie then put in the tying shot for UWF with 1:06 to go as the game was sent into overtime, 66-66.

The game was just the second this year for the Argos that went into overtime and the first since the season opener back on Nov. 11, when they took down Lynn, 77-75.

Moore had another double-double night, his seventh of the year, with a game leading 20 points and 11 rebounds. Mathis was also in double-digits with his 16 points while Buie finished with 12.

The Statesmen also had three players in double-figures including Aaron Cooper who sank four three-pointers.

The Argos were outrebounded in the matchup as well, just the fourth time this year that has happened, by Delta State, 40-37.

Turnovers also proved costly for West Florida, giving the ball up 16 times which led directly to 14 DSU points.

The Argonauts will look to bounce back this Thurs., Feb. 9, as they host North Alabama in the UWF Field House. For the latest information on West Florida basketball and all UWF Athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.