UWF Men's Basketball: Three takeaways as Argos outlast Valdosta State in overtime

A game played at a breakneck pace was decided by a simple post-up.

Junior forward Wendell Matthews knocked down a turnaround push shot with 5.5 seconds remaining in overtime to hand the University of West Florida men's basketball team a 99-97 victory over Valdosta State on Saturday from the UWF Field House.

With the team fresh off back-to-back losses at West Alabama and at Alabama Huntsville, Matthews' game-winner helped the Argos avoid a three-game losing streak.

"You're coming off two losses, so you want to find a way to win this game, break that streak and know you have three (games) in a row at home here," Argos head coach Jeff Burkhamer said. "So it's good to win this one and get to next week, and hopefully try to win two more."

The victory also allowed UWF to stay within striking distance of the Gulf South Conference's elite.

The Argos improved to 6-2 in the conference. That mark is tied with Montevallo for second in the standings as programs near the midpoint of league play. Each squad is a half-game behind Union, who suffered its first GSC defeat in a 78-73 loss on Saturday at Auburn Montgomery.

"It's a big win and we knew that," UWF sophomore guard LaTrell Tate said. "Especially in the region and in the conference, we want to be at the top. With the region rankings and all the polls that are coming out, we're all looking forward to being at the top of those."

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Every Argo inserted into the game scored, six of which finished in double figures.

Here are three takeaways from UWF's overtime thriller:

Argos get a redo

Before playing an extra five minutes, West Florida had a chance to end it in regulation.

Holding possession with 42.1 seconds left and the game tied at 88-88, UWF (12-3, 6-2 GSC) looked to get the ball down low to its leading scorer this season, Daniel Sofield. After swinging the ball from the perimeter, the 6-foot-7 sophomore guard dove through the lane for position in the low block, but the entry pass from Tate was deflected and stolen by Jacolbey Owens.

The Blazers guard held for the last shot. Getting a switch at the top of the key, Owens took a step-back 3-pointer, but his attempt bounced off the iron.

With the game tied at 97-all late in overtime, Burkhamer went back to the well.

Tate dribbled down the clock from the left side of the floor. Positioned in the left corner, Sofield ran the baseline to clear the area for Matthews down on the low block. The 6-6 forward from Brooklyn Park, Minn., took a pair of dribbles before bobbling the ball. Keeping his composure, Matthews gathered it in the lane and flipped in the turnaround.

"The last play in overtime, we ran a different play, but to get it to the same spot, this time we went to Matthews," Burkhamer said. "Wendell is very good on that left block, turning back to his left shoulder and getting in the middle of the floor. I thought he made a good, strong post move to make that play to put us ahead."

Owens had a chance to steal the win, but his long-distance shot was off the mark as time expired.

Small ball shifts tide

West Florida's last two games came against the two top-scoring teams in the GSC. And for the second time in as many games, UWF's defense got dusted in the first half.

The Argos allowed a season-high 60 points during the first 20 minutes of their loss to Alabama Huntsville on Jan. 4. On Saturday, Valdosta State (7-7, 3-4 GSC) shot 19-for-31 from the field (61.3 percent) to take a 51-46 lead into halftime.

"It was disappointing from a coaching standpoint that we did not play better defensively," Burkhamer said. "We didn't play well at all at Huntsville defensively. We spent three days really working on guarding the ball, getting to shooters, that kind of thing, and had three great days of practice. And we came out and we still didn't do it."

West Florida's deficit grew as large as 13 points when a Ricky Brown 3-pointer capped a 10-0 surge and gave the visitors a 65-52 cushion five minutes into the second half.

The home team got back into it thanks to utilizing a smaller and quicker lineup. The fivesome of Tate, Sofield, junior guard Darrin Jenkins, junior forward Dave Petit-Homme and sophomore forward Jejuan Weatherspoon collected a series of stops as part of a 9-0 run to close to within 72-70.

The lineup change allowed the Argos to jump passing lanes, collecting deflections and takeaways. The Blazers shot below 40 percent during the second half and overtime.

With 4:51 remaining, Jenkins gave the hosts their first lead since it was 46-45 late in the first half after he stepped in front of a pass on the wing and went coast-to-coast for a right-handed slam.

UWF finished with 22 points off turnovers and 24 points in transition. After a scoreless first half, Jenkins contributed 14 points, six assists and three steals before fouling out.

"I think I have enough experience and grit to change the way I was playing," he said. "I came out in the first half and was kind of disappointed in the way I was playing. (I) was able to pick it up and get going with a couple of defensive plays. I think I fed off the other guys playing well, too."

Bench unit shines

Tate, Weatherspoon and graduate student Jackson Henningfield were the only UWF reserves to see playing time Saturday night. That trio was responsible for UWF's 43-13 advantage in bench scoring.

"I think our bench has been key to us winning this year," Burkhamer said. "We've been able to play eight-to-10 (players) deep just about every game. Our depth has really helped us. … If you look at our overall stats on the year, we've got about 10 guys playing double-digit minutes. So those guys are used to going into games; it's not like you are throwing them in game situations that they don't know about."

Henningfield was on the court for less than six minutes, but finished with six points. The 6-9 post from Lake Mary was benched during the second half as the team opted to play small.

The other two reserves were just as responsible as any for the win.

Weatherspoon was impactful on both sides of the floor, crashing the boards, helping from the weak side for blocks and delivering clutch plays on the offensive end.

The forward from Columbus, Ohio had 16 points, nine rebounds and three highlight dunks, including a facial over a Blazers defender late in the second half.

"Weatherspoon brings us energy and boy, he's a good rebounder," Burkhamer said. "He's able to make some plays."

Meanwhile, Tate was a microwave off the bench, heating up for a game-high and season-best 21 points. The guard drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Argos a 97-95 lead with 1:21 remaining.

Hailing from Marietta, Ga., Tate came into the night averaging 8.3 points per game. When asked about his role and his performance, he offered a bit of perspective.

"There's a lot going on in the world right now," Tate said. "A lot of games getting canceled with COVID, so we got a chance to play today and another day to be alive. So I'm going to go out there and just have fun. I like to play with energy every time I get on the court, especially if they come out and hit us in the mouth. I see what they are doing, so I got to bring some energy so we can get going."

West Florida gets going again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Mississippi College from the UWF Field House.

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: UWF Basketball: Argos end mini-slide with OT win over Valdosta State