Box Score PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Delta State men's basketball team looked to even its conference record against the University of West Florida Saturday night at the UWF Field House. The win wouldn't come however as the Argonauts pulled away in the second half en route to an 84-67 win.
 
DSU dropped its fifth consecutive game and moved its record to 4-7 and 0-2 in the GSC. West Florida improved its mark to 10-5 on the season.
 
Terry Leake Jr., led the Statesmen in scoring for the second time in as many games totaling a game-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Cornell Knight chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Aaron Cooper came off the bench to score nine, all on 3-pointers.
 
Peter Connole led four Argonaut players in double-digit scoring with 18 points. Marquis Mathis and Jamar Moore each scored 17 points while Martell Buie came off the bench to round out the scoring with 14.
 
The first half featured four ties and three lead changes. After going back and forth over the first ten minutes, West Florida had its biggest lead (25-17) after a Dustin Clements free throw. The Statesmen would close the half bringing the score to 31-26 following an Arthur Jackson pull-up jumper with 53 seconds left.
 
West Florida shot 50% (13-of-26) in the first half while the Statesmen were held to 31% shooting (9-of-29). Sylvester Collins led DSU with six points while Connole led UWF with nine.
 
At the start of the second half, the Statesmen would pull the game to within three points, but a 15-4 run led by Moore would give the Argonauts its biggest lead at 46-32.
 
Delta State would fight back though and pull the game within four points (63-59) after a 14-4 run capped off by a Cooper 3-pointer with 6:39 remaining. Unfortunately for the Statesmen, it would be the closest they would get the rest of the game.
 
The Statesmen will look to rebound Tuesday night (Jan. 10) when they host Shepherd Tech at Walter Sillers Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.