MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Tuskegee men's basketball opened the 2025-26 season on Friday afternoon inside the AUM Athletics Complex, battling through a tightly contested first half before falling 88-70 to West Florida in the first game of the SIAC-GSC Challenge.
The Golden Tigers came out energized, scoring the first five points of the afternoon behind a corner three from
RJ Walker and a pair of early free throws from
Khalil Genwright. After West Florida responded with a 9-2 run to take their first lead, Tuskegee regained control as Genwright attacked the basket repeatedly, drawing three fouls in the first eight minutes.
Tuskegee led 23-20 midway through the first half after a deep three from
Keyon Webb, but the Argonauts answered with back-to-back baskets inside from Anthony Igiede to swing momentum.
The Golden Tigers continued trading blows, with Walker knocking down his third triple of the half and
Kusamae Draper scoring on a strong post move to help TU pull within one, trailing just 37-36 at halftime. Tuskegee shot nearly 50 percent from the field and from three in the opening frame and forced five Argonaut turnovers.
Coming out of the locker room, West Florida shifted the tempo with a barrage from the perimeter. After a strong open to the half from Tuskegee, the Argonauts tied the game at 59 after a steal and score from Tim Hall Jr., and went on to build a double-digit lead later in the half.
Tuskegee cut the deficit to nine on a pair of highlight finishes from Genwright and Draper, but West Florida's efficiency proved overwhelming. The Argonauts shot 63 percent in the second half, extending their advantage behind a balanced scoring attack led by Igiede (22 points), Hall Jr. (nine points, 11 rebounds), Aric Demings (17 points), Julius King Jr. (16 points), and Elijah Wyche (15 points).
Genwright led the Golden Tigers with 19 points, fueled by an 11-for-14 effort from the free-throw line, along with three assists, two steals, and a block. Walker finished with 15 points, including four three-pointers, and Draper added 12 points, and five rebounds in the game.
Webb chipped in eight points on a pair of first-half threes, while forward
Noah Goines provided strong minutes off the bench with six points and five rebounds.
Tuskegee shot 40.5 percent (17-of-42) from the floor and 42.1 percent (8-for-19) from three-point range, while connecting on 28-for-36 from the free throw line. The Golden Tigers collected nine steals, but West Florida's 59 percent shooting and 32 points off turnovers were ultimately the difference.
Up Next
Tuskegee (0-1) returns to the AUM Athletics Complex on Saturday, November 15, to face host Auburn University at Montgomery at 6:00 p.m. in the second game for TU of the SIAC-GSC Challenge.
How to Follow the Golden Tigers
For complete information on Tuskegee Golden Tigers Men's Basketball, visit
GoldenTigerSports.com and follow the team's social media channels on
Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook.
