#TCCBasketball heads to Pensacola State for PC opener

Live video | Live women's stats | Live men's stats

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 6, 2017) – Tallahassee Community College head men's basketball coach Mark White says it will be like starting a new season when his team opens Panhandle Conference play at Pensacola State College on Saturday evening. 

"Once you start conference play, it's a whole different game," said White. "It doesn't matter that as our record is 17-1 – as far as I'm concerned, we're 0-0. Conference play is a whole different game and every possession is so important." 

It's that mentality that helped the Eagles advance out of the Panhandle and into last season's NJCAA Region 8/FCSAA State Tournament, where it eventually lost in the championship game. And it's what White is hoping to see again when the Eagles, ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA Region 8 Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll and No. 9 by the NJCAA, square off against the Pirates in the first of three meetings in 2017. 

Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. eastern and will follow Tallahassee-Pensacola State women's action, which begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Both games can be seen live, courtesy of Panhandle Sports Broadcasting, at www.PSBlive.tv. 

The Eagles have turned back the clock through the season's first two months. For the first time since 1997, both the men and women will enter PC play with one or fewer losses – the men opened the season with 13 straight victories and are 17-1 while the women have won a school-record 12 consecutive games en route to a 15-1 mark. 

The season, however, is about to become significantly more difficult, particularly for the Eagle women. The five PC teams are ranked 1-5 in the NJCAA Region 8 Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll and are in the top 15 nationally, which means Saturday kicks off a stretch of 12 straight games against nationally-ranked opponents. 

Tallahassee sits in the center of the PC quintet at No. 3 in Region 8 and No. 11 nationally and while Pensacola State is the lowest-ranked of the five, at No. 5/No. 15, the Pirates handed No. 4 Shelton (Ala.) State Community College its first loss of the season nine days ago and have the Eagles' full attention. 

"This is going to be a chance to test ourselves and see where we are (as a team)," said head women's basketball coach Franqua "Q" Bedell. "It's high-level basketball and a chance to play against the best. We have to come ready to play for 40 minutes." 

Following Saturday's action, Tallahassee will play its PC home opener on Tuesday when it hosts Gulf Coast State College for a doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m. 

Tallahassee vs. Pensacola State Women's Capsule

• Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. eastern
• How to follow: Live video at PSBlive.tv; Live stats at TCCeagles.com
• Records: Tallahassee (15-1, 0-0), Pensacola State (15-1, 0-0)
• Rankings: Tallahassee (Region 8 No. 3, NJCAA No. 11), Pensacola State (No. 5, No. 15)
• Head-to-Head: Tallahassee leads 43-27
• In Pensacola: Tallahassee leads 19-15
• Current streak: 6 by Tallahassee
• Tallahassee is 9-1 in its last 10 meetings with Pensacola State

• Tip-off: 8:30 p.m. eastern
• How to follow: Live video at PSBlive.tv; Live stats at TCCeagles.com
• Records: Tallahassee (17-1, 0-0), Pensacola State (10-5, 0-0)
• Rankings: Tallahassee (Region 8 No. 2, NJCAA No. 9), Pensacola State (NR)
• Head-to-Head: Tallahassee leads 45-30
• In Pensacola: Tallahassee leads 19-18
• Current streak: 1 by Tallahassee
• Tallahassee is 4-6 in its last 10 meetings with Pensacola State