Eagles stay in first place in the Panhandle

PENSACOLA, Fla. (February 1, 2023) — TCC travelled to Pensacola State on Wednesday evening to take on the Pirates, who were winless in conference play entering the game. Pensacola State had a chance to pick up that win over TCC late in the game when they were down one point with the ball and less than 10 seconds remaining. A missed layup and a defensive rebound from Malachi Davis (G, Soph.) secured the 72-71 win for TCC, keeping them in first place in the Panhandle Conference. The Eagles are now 22-2 on the season, picking up their first win since Northwest Florida State snapped their 20-game win streak a week ago in the Eagledome. 

"This was one we really had to grind out," said head coach Rick Cabrera. "Our guys had a week off, so there was a little bit of rust there, but ultimately to get a road win against a well-coached team is something we need to be proud of. With that being said, there is some work to do before Saturday."

TCC led by nine at the break, but the second half was all Pensacola State. They outscored the Eagles 37-29 after the break, and even led at multiple points in the half. Contributions from RayQuan Taylor (C, Soph.) and Kenney Gaines (G, Soph.) were instrumental to winning the game. 

Taylor logged 17 minutes off the bench, his most since December 20th against Albany Tech. He finished with seven points on 3-5 shooting, and added six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. 

"He's worked really hard to be able to have an impact on games like this," said Cabrera on Taylor's performance. "He can help us on both ends of the floor and provide really valuable minutes." 

Ja'Quavian Florence led the team with 20 points, a season-high for the sophomore guard. He was two points off his career high (22) from his time at Charleston Southern. 

"I was really impressed with the way he shot the ball," said Cabrera. "Some nights you need to count on different guys to score, and tonight that was (Ja'Quavian)." 

The Eagles return home this Saturday, February 4th to take on Gulf Coast State. Last month, TCC won the first of three matchups between the teams, 93-82. In that game, Addison Patterson (G, Soph.) scored 39 points and shot 16-19 from the field. Saturday's game will tip off at 4:00 and will be streamed live here.