TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (TCC Athletics) — Pensacola State College upset NJCAA No. 2/Region 8 No. 1 Tallahassee Community College, 76-73, on Saturday evening in men’s basketball action.
The loss was the first blemish on Tallahassee’s 2021 record, which now stands at 8-1, 3-1 in Panhandle Conference play.
Trailing 66-55 with 6:23 left in the game, Tallahassee rallied and took a 72-70 lead when Tyler Poindexter sank a three as the clock ticked under two minutes. On the Pirates’ ensuing possession, Josh Williams knocked down a three at the 1:37 mark. Brett Thompson followed suit 36 seconds later to put the Pirates back on top, 76-72.
Jeremiah Kendall made one of two from the free throw line to make it a one-score game with 38 seconds left, and the Eagles got the defensive stop they needed to try and force overtime. With the clock winding down, Pensacola State deflected a pass into the back court and eventually out of bounds, leaving Tallahassee just four seconds on the clock and needing to go the length of the floor.
El Ellis took the inbounds pass, cleared halfcourt and got a decent look at the basket, but his three-point attempt didn’t fall as time expired.
Ellis didn’t score until the 3:17 mark of the second half and finished with just three points.
Kendall led the Eagles with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Early on, it was all Tallahassee. The Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind two three-pointers from DeAngelo Ware and a pair of baskets by Kendall. Pensacola State settled down, however, and took its first lead, 27-26, on Terry Durham’s basket at the 2:01 mark, part of a 15-1 run to close the half.
Pensacola State led 35-26 at the intermission.
After trailing by as many as 12, Tallahassee pulled within three on three different occasions during the first eight minutes, only to see the Pirates extend their lead back to double-digits.
Ware joined Kendall in double-figures for Tallahassee and narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Chris Hampton had 10 points.
Tallahassee will play its final non-conference game at 1 p.m. Monday when it hosts the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie.
