HUNTSVILLE | Kip Owens converted a pair of free throws with two seconds remaining, capping off an incredible comeback victory for The University of Alabama in Huntsville men's basketball team on Saturday as the Chargers knocked off No. 15 West Florida 91-90 at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall. UAH improves to 13-8 (6-7 Gulf South Conference) with the victory, while UWF falls to 18-3 (10-3 GSC).
 
Turning Point
-After a pair of offensive rebounds yielded a go-ahead 3-pointer by UWF's Rasaan Benson with nine seconds left in the game, Owens was fouled on his way to the rim on the ensuing possession, and the senior proved to be clutch as he knocked down both to give UAH the victory after the hosts had trailed by as many as 22 in the contest.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Chayse Elliott turned in one of the top performances of all-time by a Charger as he scored a stunning 41 points on the strength of a 12-for-19 showing from the field including a terrific 8-for-11 performance from beyond the arc, and for good measure the senior grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists.
-All three seniors factored mightily in what was a much-needed win for a Charger team who had dropped three straight entering Saturday, with Justin Ward going 7-for-10 from downtown on his way to scoring 28, while Owens logged a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists while also grabbing six boards.
-Moter Deng led West Florida as he scored 24 in the game.
-For the game, West Florida connected on 58.1 percent of its attempts while UAH shot 54.7 percent, and both teams were strong from 3-point land with UWF going 14-for-31 while the hosts went 17-for-29.
-In the first half, the Argos shot at a torrid 71.4 clip including 53.8 percent on 3-point tries, but the hosts responded in kind in the second half, shooting 64.3 percent overall and an otherworldly 12-for-16 from long-range.
-UWF won the rebounding battle, grabbing 31 to UAH's 29.
 
Inside the Flow
-UAH scored the first points of the game, but the Argos would have runs of 8-0, 9-0, and 10-0 in the first half en route to building up a 50-28 advantage with under a minute left in the half, but five points from Ward in 33 seconds cut UAH's deficit to a manageable 16 at 44-28 at the break.
-The Chargers then scored the first eight points of the second half to make it a 13-0 run, and after UWF hit back-to-back triples, UAH ripped off 14 straight – of which 11 came from Elliott – over a 3:32 span to pull within one at 56-55 with 13:54 left in the game.
-After a Deng bucket temporarily put the guests back ahead by three, a Seth Swalve 3-pointer and an Elliott triple put the Chargers ahead for the first time since the first minute of the game, and by the 10:24 mark of the half, UAH had established a 68-61 lead as part of a 35-11 scoring run to start the stanza.
-The lead would expand to as many as eight for the Chargers, but the Argos had one last push remaining, outscoring UAH 17-8 over 4:16 to regain a lead at 85-84 with 2:44 left.
-The lead then exchanged hands twice in the final minutes with Elliott and Owens scoring UAH's last seven points including the two late free throws from Owens that sealed the victory.
 
Noteworthy
­-Elliott's performance marks just the 11th time in UAH history that a player has scored 40 points in a game, and it is the first time since Jason Smith scored 43 against West Georgia on Jan. 21, 2006.
-Elliott is also just the fifth player in program history to perform the feat, joining Thomas Jones who scored at least 40 in six different games, Mike Morris who did it twice, and Ricky Knight and Smith who both accomplished it once.
-Additionally, the 41 points is tied for the seventh-best single-game scoring mark in program history.
-The double-double for Owens is his first of the season as he also establishes a career-best mark in assists with the 11, and that represents the most assists handed out by a Charger this season.
-The 17 made 3-pointers marks the seventh time this season UAH has hit at least 15 from beyond the arc including five times in the last six games, and the Chargers are now averaging 12.7 3-pointers per game.
 
Next Time Out
-UAH will now hit the road again, venturing to West Tennessee for a pair starting with a Thursday night visit to Union where tip-off is slated for 7:30.