TCC heads to Pensacola State looking to snap losing streaks

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 18, 2013) - Winning on the road in the Panhandle Conference is never an easy task. But if Tallahassee Community College's men's and women's basketball teams are going to avoid 0-4 starts to PC play, that's exactly what they'll have to do on Saturday night. 

The Eagles travel to Pensacola State College for a Saturday doubleheader against the Pirates. Game times are 6:30 p.m. (women) and 8:30 p.m. (men) eastern. Both games will be carried by Panhandle Sports Broadcasting at www.PSBlive.com.

In the women's game, one team is assured of breaking into the winner's column in conference play. Both FCSAA No. 4 Tallahassee (11-6) and No. 6 Pensacola State (11-7) are currently 0-3 and tied for fourth place in the league standings, but the winner could end up just one game back of third-place Chipola College by night's end.

Chipola (2-1) travels to league-leading and top-ranked Gulf Coast State College (3-0) in the conference's other Saturday evening tilt.

Tallahassee will be playing for the first time since the school announced head coach Teresa Atkinson was taking medical leave for the remainder of the season. Assistant coach Lamar Hamilton will serve as interim head coach for the final nine games of the regular season. 

Despite an 0-3 start to league play, Tallahassee still claimed a spot in this week's NJCAA poll and even climbed three notches to No. 19.

Like the undercard, Saturday's nightcap will feature a pair of FCSAA top ten teams - No. 8 Pensacola State (15-6, 1-2) and No. 10 Tallahassee (12-7, 0-3). Both teams last played on Tuesday, although to vastly different outcomes.

Tallahassee suffered a tough 76-68 loss at home to top-ranked Northwest Florida State College, a game in which it enjoyed a 19-point first-half lead. Pensacola State, meanwhile, won on the road at Chipola, 45-42.

Like the women, Chipola (1-2) travels to Gulf Coast State in Saturday's second PC game and, depending on the outcome, Northwest Florida State (4-0) and Gulf Coast State (2-1) could have some breathing room from the rest of the pack or the first round of conference play could end with a four-team logjam.

Tallahassee will host Chipola on Tuesday to open round two of PC play.