PENSACOLA, Fla. -- The Auburn University at Montgomery men's basketball team got 17 points and 10 rebounds from senior forward James Graham, and the Warhawks clinched a berth in the upcoming Gulf South Conference tournament courtesy of a 70-65 win over the University of West Florida on Thursday night.
Graham posted a double-double, his seventh of the season, while Roderick Smith (14 points and seven rebounds) and Sam Youngblood (10 points, four rebounds, and two assists) also scored in double figures for the Warhawks.
THE TIPOFF
Score: AUM 70, UWF 65
Records: AUM 14-12 (12-10 GSC) | UWF 12-13 (8-13 GSC)
Location: Pensacola, Fla. | UWF Fieldhouse
Series: Series is tied 11-11
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HIGHLIGHTS
- The Warhawks went 5-for-7 from the field to open the game, as AUM built an early 18-5 lead at the 13:03 mark of the first half.
- AUM continued to push out to a 27-10 lead, its largest lead of the contest, on a Roderick Smith dunk.
- West Florida used a 22-10 run of its own in the closing six minutes of the first half to trim a 17-point deficit into a five-point, 37-32 halftime deficit.
- A deep three-pointer by Travis Anderson opened up an eight-point advantage to start the second half, and the Warhawks led by as many as nine on four different occasions in the second half.
- The Argonauts got a huge run from Daniel Sofield, which included two three-pointers, as part of a 14-6 spurt to trim the lead to one point with 55 seconds to play.
- With 27 seconds left in the game, Graham grabbed his 10th rebound of the game on the offensive glass, drew a foul, and drained the ensuing two free throws to put AUM up three late in the game.
- After a UWF turnover, Jalen Gaston was fouled and knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the final margin of victory.
NOTABLES
- Graham's double-double marked his seventh of the season. Graham also went 7-for-11 from the floor and ranks third in the GSC in field goal percentage at 55.6 percent.
- AUM out-rebounded UWF 44-40, which included a 17-11 advantage on the offensive glass.
- The Warhawks held the Argonauts to 22 percent shooting (4-of-18) from three-point territory.
- AUM bested UWF 21-6 in second-chance points, won the battle in the paint 36-32, and posted 18 points to just 10 bench points by the Argos.
UP NEXT
AUM visits Valdosta, Ga. as they take on the Valdosta State University Blazers on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m.
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