Eagles beat Central Georgia Tech for fourth straight win

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (December 29, 2015) - Tallahassee Community College won its fourth straight game on Tuesday, defeating Central Georgia Technical College, 71-53, on the final day of the Tallahassee Democrat Holiday Classic. 

The Eagles will carry an 11-7 record into Saturday's Panhandle Conference opener at home against Pensacola State College. 

Both Tallahassee and Pensacola State went 2-0 at the Holiday Classic. In Tuesday's first game, Pensacola State pulled out a 74-73 win over Shelton (Ala.) State Community College, the event's third straight game decided by single digits.

Finally, in the Classic finale, the Eagles delivered a decisive victory for the home crowd. 

Tallahassee led for all but 42 seconds on Tuesday. 

The teams traded three-pointers to open the game then Central Georgia Tech took its only lead (5-3) on a basket by Mike Hardin, Jr. David Simmons' three-pointer at the 18:15 mark of the first half gave Tallahassee a 6-5 lead and it never trailed again.

The Eagles gained their first double-digit lead following a sequence that included a defensive foul on the Titans' Mike Harden and a technical foul on head coach Reco Dawson. Jahvaughn Powell knocked down both technical free throws and Stavian Allen converted both of his attempts to push Tallahassee in front, 25-14, with 9:23 left in the first half. 

Less than three minutes later, Dawson picked up his second technical and was ejected from the game. This time, Powell hit one of two, part of a 9-0 run that gave the Eagles a 35-19 lead. 

Central Georgia Tech (9-6) pulled to within 36-26 at the break and scored the first two points of the second half but that was as close as it would get the rest of the game. 

Tallahassee answered with a 14-3 run, capped by a pair of free throws from Simmons for a 50-31 lead at the 14:30 mark. 

Simmons went 9-of-14 from the free throw line, helping the Eagles to a 26-of-35 performance as a team. He also finished with a team-high 20 points, one of four players in double-figures. 

Daishon Smith scored 17 points, all in the second half. Deion Bute had 12 and Powell, 11. 

Sheldon Williams, who scored 31 points in Monday's 75-72 overtime loss to Pensacola State, was limited to just 12 on 5-of-13 shooting. 

Tallahassee and Pensacola State will play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning with women's action at 5:30 p.m. The men are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip. 

Both games can be seen live on TCCeagles.com.