TCC women come up short against Gulf Coast State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 12, 2013) – NJCAA No. 5/FCSAA No. 1 Gulf Coast State College scored 12 unanswered points during a crucial stretch of the second half and defeated No. 22/No. 4 Tallahassee Community College, 67-60, in Panhandle Conference women's basketball action on Saturday evening at the Bill Hebrock Eagledome.

Tallahassee (11-5) has now dropped 17 straight conference games and is 0-2 this season. Gulf Coast State improved to 18-1 overall and is the lone unbeaten team in the PC with a 3-0 mark.

For 30 minutes, Tallahassee gave the favored Lady Commodores all they could handle.

Tallahassee enjoyed as much as an eight-point lead (17-9) in the first half and, following a putback by Aiyannah Peal, led 50-47 with 9:41 left in the game. But the Lady Eagles went scoreless for the next six minutes and Gulf Coast State, meanwhile, put together a decisive 12-0 run.

Jessica Morton, a one-time Tallahassee signee, hit the go-ahead basket with 8:31 left in the game then capped off the run with another bucket at the 4:08 mark to put the Lady Commodores in front, 59-50.

Jeraldine Campbell, who scored a game-high 23 points for Tallahassee, hit consecutive baskets to bring the Lady Eagles within four, 61-57 with 1:43 left. On Gulf Coast State's ensuing possession, Campbell had a beat on a loose ball with nothing but open floor ahead but couldn't come up with the ball, eventually fouling the Lady Commodores' Aissata Maiga, who hit both ends of the one-and-one.

The four-point swing left Tallahassee facing a six-point deficit and they never got any closer over the final 90 seconds.

Campbell was the only Tallahassee player in double-figures. Tyeshia Guinnie scored nine and Sofia da Silva added eight.

Necole Sterling led Gulf Coast State with 20. Morton finished with 17 and Tamara Taylor added 10.

Tallahassee will return to action on Tuesday evening when it hosts Northwest Florida State College. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. and the game will be carried by Panhandle Sports Broadcasting at www.PSBlive.com.