#TCCBasketball: Eagle women upset No. 1 Gulf Coast State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 10, 2017) – Tallahassee Community College's women's basketball team knocked off Region 8 and NJCAA No. 1 Gulf Coast State College, 89-78, on Tuesday evening in Panhandle Conference play at the Bill Hebrock Eagledome. 

Region 8 No. 4/NJCAA No. 11 Tallahassee is now 16-2 on the season and evened its PC record at 1-1, alongside the defending national champion Lady Commodores (18-1), who saw their 28-game winning streak snapped. 

The win was Tallahassee's first over an NJCAA No. 1 team since knocking off top-ranked Gulf Coast State on February 13, 2008. 

Lawriell Wilson's basket with seven seconds remaining in the third quarter broke a 62-all tie. She added the free throw to give the Eagles a three-point lead headed to the fourth quarter, where Tallahassee outscored Gulf Coast State, 24-16. 

Tallahassee put the game away with a 10-2 run during the final three minutes. Leading 79-75, Wilson found Lindsay John, who connected on a three-pointer, arguably the biggest basket of the game, to push the Eagles' lead to seven. After a defensive stop, Janessa Murphy found Japonica James underneath for basket and Tallahassee had a nine-point lead. 

Tallahassee shot 62.5 percent (20-of-32) from the field in the second half and finished 35-of-69 (50.7 percent) for the game. Defensively, the Eagles held Gulf Coast State to just 40.0 percent (32-of-80) for the night and outrebounded the Lady Commodores, 50-41. 

Wilson finished with a game-high 29 points on 13-of-19 shooting. James had 22 points and was one rebound away from a double-double. 

Aryn Tarver came off the bench to post a double-double – 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jas Hill added 11. 

The game was nip-and-tuck during the opening half. Tallahassee led 24-23 after the first quarter and maintained a one-point lead, 39-38, at the half. 

Shayla Bennett came off the bench to score 22 points to lead Gulf Coast State. 

Tallahassee returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Chipola College. Game time is 6:30 p.m. eastern.