TCC takes thriller vs. Chipola in PC opener

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 4, 2020) – Tallahassee Community College and Chipola College's men's basketball teams treated fans to a thriller in Saturday's Panhandle Conference opener, a game the host Eagles won, 73-71. 

Tallahassee (1-0 PC) is now 17-2 on the season while Chipola (0-1) fell to 12-5. 

Chipola needed just 3:29 of the second half to erase Tallahassee's 47-37 halftime lead, tying the game at 52 on Marial Mading's three-pointer. For the final 16:31 of the game, neither team led by more than four points. 

After the Indians took a 66-64 lead with five unanswered points, Eric Hester's three-point play put the Eagles back in front with 3:51 left. Two minutes later, he broke a 69-all tie with three at the 1:46 mark. 

A pair of Lat Mayen free throws pulled Chipola within a point, and the Indians had a chance to win the game after Tallahassee's Jordan Guest missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 26 seconds left. Following a timeout, it was Mayen who had the ball with a chance at the game-winner. His shot, however, didn't fall, and the Eagles' DeAndre Gholston came away with the rebound and 1.7 seconds on the clock. 

Gholston hit the front end of the 1-and-1 but missed the second, giving Chipola one final opportunity to tie or win the game. Following a timeout with 1.3 seconds left, the Indians halfcourt heave was off the mark. 

Both teams came out red hot on Saturday. Chipola shot 14-of-27 (51.9 percent) in the first half, yet the Indians only led for a total of 82 seconds. That was due in large part to Tallahassee hitting its first seven three-point attempts, and finishing 8-of-10 in the first half and 15-of-25 from the field overall to claim the ten-point halftime lead. 

El Ellis scored 22 points for Tallahassee to share game-high honors with Mayen. Hester finished with 19 as both he and Ellis hit four three-pointers. 

The Eagles will return to action on January 11 when they travel to Northwest Florida State College. Game time is 8:30 p.m.