TCC releases 2012-13 basketball schedules

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (August 1, 2012) – A trio of events co-hosted by the men's and women's basketball teams highlight Tallahassee Community College's 2012-13 basketball schedules, released on Wednesday.

Tallahassee's 2012-13 slate features a combined 26 home dates at the Bill Hebrock Eagledome, beginning with the Tallahassee Democrat Tip-Off Classic on Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3. Four games will dot each day, culminating with a Tallahassee doubleheader in the evening session.

On Friday, November 2, the Lady Eagles will open their season against Albany (Ga.) Technical College at 6:30 p.m. The Eagle men will follow with an 8:30 p.m. date against Gadsden State (Ala.) Community College. The next day, both teams will host Central Georgia Technical College in another 6:30/8:30 p.m. twin bill. 

The annual TCC Thanksgiving Classic will feature eight more games on Wednesday and Thursday, November 21 and 22. The Lady Eagles will play NJCAA Region 8 foes Broward College (November 21, 5:30 p.m.) and Miami Dade College (November 22, 5:30 p.m.) while the Eagle men will host Marion Military (Ala.) Institute (November 21, 7:30 p.m.) and Aiken (S.C.) Technical College (November 22, 7:30 p.m.).

On Friday and Saturday, December 28 and 29, the Lady Eagles and Eagle men will host the Comfort Inn Holiday Classic, in what will be the final non-conference games for both teams. In women's action, Tallahassee will host Georgia Perimeter College (December 28, 5:30 p.m.) and NJCAA Region 8 foe College of Central Florida (December 29, 5:30 p.m.) while the Eagle men will square off against East Georgia College (December 28, 7:30 p.m.) and reigning NJCAA Region 17 Champion Gordon (Ga.) College (December 29, 7:30 p.m.).

The Eagle men will also host St. Petersburg College and Daytona State College on Friday and Saturday, December 14 and 15.

"The schedule is very competitive and very challenging," said Tallahassee men's head coach Eddie Barnes. "I have always felt that in order to be good, you have to play good teams and put your team in tough environments."

Barnes' young squad will have to grow up quickly with four straight road games sandwiched between the November classics, all against fellow NJCAA Region 8 opponents – Santa Fe College (November 9), Florida State College at Jacksonville (November 12), St. Petersburg (November 16) and Daytona State (November 17).

After returning home for Thanksgiving, the Eagles will play five straight on the road, beginning with a trip to Gordon on November 27. The annual Milton H. Johnson Panhandle Classic (November 30-December 1, Marianna, Fla.) and Florida College's Men's Basketball Shootout (December 8-9, Ocala, Fla.) round out the Eagles' non-conference road schedule.

Barnes also noted that an expanded NJCAA Tournament field places an added importance on every game, not just the 12-game Panhandle Conference season.

"My job has always been to have our team ready for the (Panhandle) conference season and I've used the non-conference games to grow our team," added Barnes. "Now, with at-large berths available (for the national tournament), the games you play in November and December are just as crucial as those played in January and February."

The Lady Eagles' schedule is just as daunting.

A pair of four-game road trips – one in mid-November, the second beginning November 30 and continuing through December 8 – will go a long ways in determining the course of the season.

"I feel like it's a good schedule," said Tallahassee women's head coach Teresa Atkinson. "It's very competitive from beginning to end and should get us ready for the (Panhandle) conference season."

Tallahassee's road docket includes three annual stops: the Chipola College Classic (Marianna, Fla., November 9-10), the CF Shootout (Ocala, Fla., November 16-17) and the Florida College's Women's Basketball Shootout (November 30-December 1, Gainesville, Fla.).

The Lady Eagles' final two non-conference road games will be December 7 and 8 at St. Petersburg and Indian River State College, respectively.

Tallahassee will open the Panhandle Conference schedule on Saturday, January 5 at arch-rival Chipola College. The Eagles' first conference home date is Saturday, January 12 against Gulf Coast State College.