Men’s Hoops Preview: West Florida and Montevallo

LIVINGSTON, Ala.– Get used to seeing these two teams as the West Alabama Men's Basketball team prepares for two straight weeks of the combination of the West Florida Argonauts and the Montevallo Falcons in Gulf South Conference action. This week's games will see both teams come to Pruitt Hall Gymnasium with the UWF game on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and the Montevallo game being Saturday at 4 p.m.

UWA (12-5, 7-3) enters the weekend riding a three-game winning streak and in a four-way tie for third place in the GSC standings. LaJuan Hardy was the hero for the Tigers last weekend with a game winning layup with 10.4 seconds left to lift UWA over UAH on the road. Two days later, the junior guard hit a game-winning three as time expired to lift the team over Lee to go along with a game high 27 points.

Josh Fleming is the leading scorer on the season with an average of 12.9 points a game. Hardy has gotten his average to double digits at 10.9 points as well as leading in assists at 5.3 which is the second best per game mark in the conference. DeAndre Harper is the leading rebounder at 7.5 boards a game.

The UWA team defense is back on top of the GSC and only allowing an average of 64.2 points a game which is also the eighth best defensive average in all of NCAA Division II.

West Florida is 7-11 on the season and 3-7 in conference play coming off a huge 83-51 win over West Georgia at home led by a 31-point effort by Maxwell Benoit.

Rashaan Benson is the leading scorer for the Argos with an average of 13.6 points and the leading assist maker at 3.6 assists a game. Jon Brown averages 12.5 points and pulls down a team leading 5.7 rebounds per game.

The Argos boast a top-five defense in the league and surrender an average of 65.8 points per game.

Game links: Video - Audio - Live Stats

Montevallo is 8-11 overall and 4-5 in the GSC. The Falcons will host Valdosta State Thursday night before making the trip Livingston for the Saturday afternoon contest.

Three Falcons are averaging double figures with Micah Fuller leading the way at 11.2 points, Wade Lowman is at 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds and De'Marco Owens is scoring 10.2 points a game and grabbing 6.9 rebounds a contest. Cam Copeland leads in assists at 3.9 a game.

Montevallo also brings in a stout defense that is fourth best in the conference that averages 65.6 points allowed per game.

Game links: Video - Audio - Live Stats

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Players Mentioned

#14 Josh Fleming: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#15 Deandre Harper: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#1 LaJuan Hardy: G; 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#14 Josh Fleming
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#15 Deandre Harper
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#1 LaJuan Hardy
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G

Players Mentioned

#14 Josh Fleming

#15 Deandre Harper

#1 LaJuan Hardy

Players Mentioned

#14 Josh Fleming

#15 Deandre Harper

#1 LaJuan Hardy