Coach Q & the Eagles are riding a school-record 20-game winning streak (photo courtesy of Greg Rowland)
Coach Q & the Eagles are riding a school-record 20-game winning streak (photo courtesy of Greg Rowland)

#TCCBasketball: Eagle women close pre-PC slate in DC

Title IX Classic Bracket 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (December 26, 2018) – Tallahassee Community College's women's basketball team enjoyed the ultimate moment in March when it won its first-ever national championship. That victory, however, opened the door for the Eagles to be invited to another event on the national stage – the prestigious Title IX Classic in Washington, D.C., which tips off Thursday at the historic D.C. Armory.   

The event, which originated as a showcase event on the high school circuit, is now in its tenth year and features 64 teams competing in eight separate brackets over three days. 

Tallahassee (15-0) opens play in the lone eight-team JUCO bracket, designated as the Allen Chin Bracket, at 3:30 p.m. Thursday against Frederick (Md.) Community College (6-2). 

Win or lose, the Eagles will play their second game at 12:30 p.m. Friday against either Motlow (Tenn.) State Community College or Hostos (N.Y.) Community College. 

Saturday's action begins with the third and seventh place games at 12:30 p.m. followed by the fifth place game at 2:30 p.m. and the championship game at 4 p.m. 

Tallahassee currently boasts a No. 3 national ranking and school-record 20-game winning streak, dating back to last season. The Eagles have also matched last season's 15-0 start for the best in school history, meaning Thursday's game is a shot at another piece of school history. 

While Tallahassee headlines the 2018 tournament field, it must navigate a strong list of contenders in order to return home with its perfect record intact.   

Motlow State (8-3) is just two seasons removed from a berth in the NJCAA Tournament while Hostos (11-2) is the reigning NJCAA Division III National Champions and currently ranked No. 2 in the Division III poll. 

The bottom half of the bracket features Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville (7-5), Nassau (N.Y.) Community College (8-2), Monroe (N.Y.) College (9-3) and unbeaten Harford (Md.) Community College (12-0), who is ranked No. 22 in the NJCAA Division I poll. 

Should Tallahassee and Harford square off on Saturday, it would feature two of the top three scoring teams in the country. The Eagles are currently number two at 98.9 points per game while the Owls are next at 97.8 points per game. 

The event, which recognizes the landmark legislation in 1972 that has dramatically increased athletic opportunities for women and girls, is not limited to the action on the court. Students and coaches will have the opportunity to participate in a companion conference to learn about Title IX, how to self-advocate and prepare for post-secondary success. 

Tallahassee head coach Franqua "Q" Bedell will serve as one of the keynote speakers, along with Olympic champion Nancy Hogshead-Makar (1984, swimming) and former WNBA player Lisa Willis.