Eagles, Raiders battle for first place on Saturday

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 15, 2016) – Tallahassee Community College's men's basketball team will have its seven-game winning streak and 3-0 start to Panhandle Conference play put to the ultimate test on Saturday evening when it travels to defending national champion Northwest Florida State College. 

The Eagles and Raiders are scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. eastern tip at The Arena, though the game is likely to start closer to 9 p.m. to accommodate Northwest Florida State's ring ceremony for last season's baseball national championship team. Ladies action will begin the evening's doubleheader at 6:30 p.m. eastern. Both games can be seen online, courtesy of Emerald Coast TV.

Like Tallahassee, the Northwest Florida State men enter with a 3-0 mark in league play, meaning the winner of Saturday's showdown will have sole possession of first place through the first of three rounds of the Panhandle Conference schedule. 

Both teams are also streaking as of late. Tallahassee has won seven straight – the longest such streak among teams in Region 8 – while Northwest Florida State is winners of five in a row. 

The Eagles, off to their best start in PC play since 2007, haven't started 4-0 since that same year, one that ended with a trip to the NJCAA Region 8/FCSAA State Basketball Tournament. While the current team's postseason fate will not be determined on Saturday, regardless of the outcome, a win would provide Tallahassee with added momentum heading into round two of league play. 

"It's a big game but I don't see it as a must-win game," said Tallahassee head coach Mark White. "We know it will be an unbelievable atmosphere and a tremendous challenge for our team." 

Tallahassee's lineup is expected to receive a much-needed boost on Saturday with the return of second-leading scorer Ryan Johnson (14.1 ppg), who has missed the last six games due to a stress fracture in his left foot. If Johnson returns, it will mark only the second time all season in which the Eagles have been at full strength from a personnel standpoint. Starting point guard Jahvaughn Powell missed all but one of the Eagles' first 16 games with a pair of hand injuries. By the time he returned full-time on December 28, Johnson was two week's into his rehab stint. 

Saturday's opener will also provide some clarity to the PC's pecking order, even if only temporarily. 

Tallahassee and Northwest Florida State enter with identical 1-2 PC records, and the winner will have sole possession of the all-important third-place spot in the standings. The top three teams will advance to the postseason. Four of the PC's five teams were ranked nationally as recently as last week. 

Bottom line: one quality team will be left home from the postseason party come March, meaning every conference – and every win – is precious. 

"We've got to be on the better end of the stick about being mature and making better decisions down the stretch," said Tallahassee head coach Franqua Bedell. "We're so close." 

After defeating Pensacola State College in its PC opener, Tallahassee has dropped games to NJCAA No. 2 Gulf Coast State College and No. 6 Chipola College. 

Tallahassee vs. Northwest Florida State Women's Capsule

• Tipoff: 6:30 p.m.
• Broadcast Info: www.ecitv.com/nwfsc-pc16 (video)
• Records: Tallahassee (12-8, 1-2), Northwest Florida State (15-4, 1-2)
• Rankings: Tallahassee (FCSAA No. 6), Northwest Florida State (FCSAA No. 4, NJCAA No. 12)
• Head-to-Head: Northwest Florida State leads, 48-19
• In Niceville: Northwest Florida State leads, 25-6
• Current streak: Northwest Florida State has won two in a row (19 of 22 overall) 

Tallahassee vs. Northwest Florida State Men's Capsule

• Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. (tentative)
• Broadcast Info: www.ecitv.com/nwfsc-pc16 (video)
• Records: Tallahassee (14-7, 3-0), Northwest Florida State (17-2, 3-0)
• Rankings: Tallahassee (FCSAA No. 6), Northwest Florida State (FCSAA No. 2, NJCAA No. 8)
• Head-to-Head: Northwest Florida State leads, 37-36
• In Niceville: Northwest Florida State leads, 22-14
• Current streak: Northwest Florida State has won 12 in a row