Eagles Prepare For Panhandle Conference Opponent Gulf State College

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 27, 2015) – The Tallahassee Community College Eagles hit the road on Wednesday to take on the Gulf Coast State Commodores in their second of three meetings in Panhandle Conference play. 

The Eagle women, who are currently ranked No. 3 in the FCSAA and No. 12 in the NJCAA, are coming off a last second 73-71 victory over Pensacola State College.  With the win, the Eagles improved to 4-2 in conference play and kept pace with Chipola College (5-1) and Northwest Florida State College (4-1). 

Gulf Coast State enters this game ranked at No. 6 in the FCSAA and No, 20 in the NJCAA. 

In their first meeting this season, the Eagles coasted to a double-digit victory (82-63) at home against the Commodores.  

The Eagles will rely on the play of Karley Barnes and Wendion Bibbins to slow down the forward heavy attack of Gulf Coast State.  Barnes is averaging 7.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season while Bibbins adds 5.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. 

In their first meeting this season the play of Cat Wells was the difference maker as she scored 30 points, her first 30-point game of the season. Wells comes off the bench for the Eagles and provides a spark from the guard position that fuels the team's offensive attack. 

Wells is averaging 13.8 points on the season while shooting 43.8 percent from the field. 

In the second game of the night, the Eagle men will face off against the men from Gulf Coast State. 

The Eagles enter the game as the No. 8 team in the FCSAA. 

In their first meeting this season, the Eagles suffered a six-point loss (67-61) at home to the Commodores. 

The Eagles struggled offensively in the January 10 meeting and could not find a counter attack for the play of Gulf Coast State's Anton Waters, Elliot Cole, or Quavius Copeland.  Each of these players scored in double figures with Waters being the most active player by pulling down seven rebounds and scoring 12 points. 

The Commodores feature four different players who average double-digit scoring on the season.  Cole leads all scorers with an average of 12.4 points and Waters is the team's leading rebounder pulling down 7.1 per game. 

The Eagles will look to offset the play of Cole and Waters with the shooting of Elmo Stephen and the guard play of Eric Nottage.  Nottage currently leads the team in assists with six per game and contributes on the defensive side grabbing 4.5 rebounds a game. 

Stephen is one of the Eagles' leading scorers, averaging 16.3 points per game.  Elmo has been shooting the ball effectively this season going 47.3 percent from the floor and 41.5 from behind the three-point line.  

The Eagles currently sit in fourth place in the Panhandle Conference but a win Wednesday night would move them into third.

The women's game will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. (ET) and the men will tip at 8:30 p.m. (ET). Both games will be streamed online and can be seen at www.gulfcoast.edu/gctv.