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LIVINGSTON, Ala.
– For the second-straight season, the University of West
Alabama men’s basketball team’s postseason fate will
come down to the regular season finale after UWA stayed
alive in the Gulf South Conference Tournament chase,
downing West Florida 81-68 on Saturday.
The Tigers (12-14,
4-7 GSC) will head into next Saturday’s Montevallo
contest needing a win to earn a berth into the GSC
postseason event. A season ago, the same two teams
battled for the final GSC East spot, with the Falcons
topping UWA in the season ending contest. The Red and
White will travel to UM on Saturday, Feb. 28.
The Tigers used an
inside-outside combo in the 13-point win, using the
outside services of guard Chris Davis and Jason Swanson
controlling the paint. The tandem combined for 38
points in the affair. Davis, from Birmingham, Ala.
registered a season-high 21 points, 15 were from behind
the three-point stripe. He drained 5-of-6 from behind
the arc. Swanson posted 17 points and a team-high nine
rebounds. The Troy-Ala.-forward also dished out six
assists and was credited with a pair of steals.
After the Argos
(13-11, 5-6 GSC) broke out to a 28-18 lead at the 7:28
mark of the opening half, UWA went on 13-0 scoring run
over the next four minutes to erase the ten-point
deficit. The Tigers also held UWF in check on the
defensive end, holding it to no baskets over that same
time frame. Davis sparked the UWA charge, connecting on
three straight treys. UWA took a 34-32 advantage into
the halftime session.
In the second half,
UWA maintained its lead and never trailed the rest of
the way. The Tigers stretched its lead out double
digits at 60-50 on a jumper by Brandon Hampton at the
7:28 mark of the final half. Hampton finished with 13
points in his 32 minutes of activity. After the Green
and Blue trimmed the deficit to eight points, Davis
squashed UWF’s threat with back-to-back three pointers
to push the lead out to 14 points. UWA took its largest
lead of 15 points with just over two minutes left in the
game.
Playing in his
final game at Pruitt Hall, senior guard Jamaine Nance
reached double figures with 11 points in the tilt. The
Huntsville, Ala.-product by way of Weber State was also
credited with seven assists and seven rebounds.
Charles Bouie and Josh Jackson led
UWF with 15 points.
UWA closes out the
regular season at Montevallo on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tip
off is set for 7:30 p.m. The game will be carried by
WZNJ 106.5 FM.
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