TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 31, 2017) – Tallahassee Community College’s women’s basketball team knocked off NJCAA No. 4/Region 8 No. 2 Chipola College 83-73 in Panhandle Conference action on Tuesday evening.
The win, Tallahassee’s second top 4 win of the season, moved the NJCAA No. 11/Region 8 No. 3 Eagles into sole possession of second place in the PC standings. Tallahassee (19-4) improved to 4-3 in league play, one half game ahead of Chipola (19-3), whose conference recorded evened at 3-3.
Tallahassee knocked off then-No. 1 Gulf Coast State College on January 10.
The Eagles opened the game on an 11-0 run and never trailed. Chipola pulled within a point (22-21) by the end of the first quarter, but Tallahassee took control with a quick 6-0 run near the end of the second quarter to extend its lead to 12 (40-28).
Chipola’s Raven Baker-Northcross knocked down a three-pointer just before the first half buzzer to cut Tallahassee’s lead to 40-31. The Indians scored the first basket of the second half to pull within seven points but that’s as close as they got the rest of the way.
Lawriell Wilson answered with a three-pointer to increase Tallahassee’s lead to double-figures and the Eagles pulled away from there.
Janessa Murphy’s free throw with 1:39 left in the third quarter gave Tallahassee a 67-49 lead. Tallahassee matched the 18-point margin seconds into the fourth quarter and again on a basket by Wilson with 5:21 left in the game.
Wilson finished with a game-high 31 points to lead four players in double-figures for Tallahassee. Murphy and Japonica James had 17 points each and Jas Hill came off the bench to add 10.
Chipola College outscored Tallahassee Community College 21-7 over the final 8:11 and left the Bill Hebrock Eagledome with an 86-78 win over the Eagles in men’s basketball action on Tuesday.
Tallahassee (22-3) is now 5-2 in Panhandle Conference play, just one game ahead of the Indians (3-3) in the loss column in the league standings.
After erasing a 13-point, first-half deficit, the Eagles surged to a six-point lead, 71-65, with 8:11 remaining.
Shamarkus Kennedy’s dunk ignited the Indians’ final surge, as they scored eight unanswered to lead 73-71 with 5:48 remaining. After Tre Todd’s basket tied the game at 73-all, Chipola scored the next 11 points to pull away and hand the Eagles their second straight loss at home.
Kiair Crouch paced Tallahassee with 23 points. David Simmons and Ronald Bell scored 11 points each and Elvis Harvey had 10.
Tallahassee will travel to Northwest Florida State College for a doubleheader on Saturday. The women tip at 4:30/ET, while the men play after.
