Eagles beat Chipola in crucial PC showdown

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 8, 2020) – Tallahassee Community College's men's basketball team took a big step towards a postseason berth with Saturday's 61-52 win over Chipola College. 

The win clinched the season series against the Indians for NJCAA No. 15/Region 8 No. 3 Tallahassee (23-4), who kept pace with Gulf Coast State College atop the PC standings. The Commodores rallied to beat Northwest Florida State College later on Saturday evening. 

Both teams are 7-2 in Panhandle Conference play with three games remaining. 

More importantly for the Eagles, Saturday's win kept their lead over third-place Pensacola State College (4-4) at two games in the loss column and created a three-game cushion over Chipola (4-5). While Tallahassee enjoys the mid-week bye on Wednesday, its postseason forecast could become even clearer when Pensacola State travels to Gulf Coast State and Chipola hosts Northwest Florida State. 

Playing just 72 hours after Wednesday's physical game against Gulf Coast State and having lost a day of preparation when colleges closed on Thursday due to severe weather, the Eagles struggled for much of the first half.

Tallahassee went scoreless for the first 5:15, missed 12 of its first 15 shots and saw Chipola jump out to a 19-9 lead following Marial Mading's basket with 8:48 left in the half. 

Rifen Miguel, who scored all ten of his points in the first half, hit bookend threes as part of a 10-0 run to tie the game at the 6:29 mark. Chipola regained a 27-21 lead before Tallahassee wrestled away the momentum and lead over the final three minutes. 

Six straight points tied the game and the teams traded baskets twice in the final 90 seconds, the last on a three-pointer by DeAndre Gholston at the buzzer that put the Eagles in front, 32-31. 

Chipola's Cheikh Faye opened the second half with a three-pointer, then Tallahassee took control of the game with an 18-5 run, ending with Daivon Stephens' basket with 13:14 left in the game. 

The Indians got within three, 55-52, on Lat Mayen's basket with 2:56 left but didn't score again. Leading 57-52, Gholston scored with 39 seconds remaining to make it a three-possession game and El Ellis capped things with a pair of free throws in the closing seconds. 

Stephens and Gholston scored 12 points each to help the Tallahassee reserves to a 32-22 advantage. 

Tallahassee will travel to Northwest Florida State next Saturday for an 8:30 p.m. tip against the Raiders.