Balanced attack sends Eagle men past Tech

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 1, 2021) – Four players scored in double figures and NJCAA No. 2/Region 8 No. 1 Tallahassee Community College improved to 5-0 with an 81-60 win over South Georgia Technical College on Monday evening in men's basketball action. 

El Ellis followed up Saturday's 34-point effort against St. Petersburg College with 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Jeremiah Kendall had 14 points and eight rebounds. 

DeAngelo Ware, who got his first start of the season on Monday, tallied 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Shawn Walker contributed 10. 

In fact, eleven of the 12 players who saw action on Monday scored and recorded at least one rebound. 

Playing with its highest NJCAA ranking since 2001, the Eagles delivered a performance worthy of its No. 2 ranking. For the fourth time in five games, the outcome of the game was all but decided by halftime. 

Leading just 10-8 seven minutes in, Ellis knocked down a three-pointer – one of seven different players to connect from long distance – to ignite a 20-0 run. His basket at the 7:58 mark capped the surge and put Tallahassee in front, 30-8. He hit another three in the final seconds of the half to close the scoring and send the Eagles to the locker room with a 44-20 lead. 

Tallahassee connected on 15-of-32 (46.9 percent) first half field attempts – 7-of-17 from long distance – while holding the Jets to just 7-of-28 overall and 0-for-9 behind the arc. 

South Georgia Tech shot just 17-of-62 (27.4 percent) for the game and was 4-for-23 on threes. 

After the Eagles' lead hit 30 (52-22) on Amir Gholizadeh's three-pointer with 14:48 left in the game, the Jets put together their best stretch of the game. Eleven unanswered points cut the Tallahassee lead to 19 (52-33) at the 11:44 mark, but that's as close as South Georgia Tech would get until the final two minutes of the game. 

Tallahassee will open defense of its Panhandle Conference Championship on Saturday when it travels to Gulf Coast State College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. eastern.