Eagle women hold off Pirates for first PC win

PENSACOLA, Fla. (February 27, 2021) – Tallahassee Community College's women's basketball team defeated Pensacola State College, 48-45, on Saturday evening. 

The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Eagles (2-8, 1-7), who picked up their first Panhandle Conference victory of the season. 

Both teams got off to slow starts offensively, with Pensacola State leading 10-5 after the first quarter. 

Tallahassee trailed by as many as nine, 14-5, in the opening minutes of quarter number two but outscored the Pirates, 20-6, over the final nine minutes and led 25-20 at the intermission. 

The Eagles maintained a 34-30 lead through three then got a fast start to the fourth. 

Polina Nikulochkina converted a three-point play and Kyra Smith knocked down a long jumper to extend the lead to 39-30 less than a minute into the quarter. 

Tallahassee never trailed in the second half, but needed a defensive stop in the final seconds to preserve the victory. After forcing a shot clock violation, Pensacola State called a timeout and advanced the ball, trailing 46-45 with 15.3 seconds left. 

On the ensuing possession, as the clock ticked under ten seconds, Rita James got her hands on a pass and came up with the loose ball. She was eventually fouled and hit both free throws to extend the Eagles' lead to 48-45 with 4.8 seconds left. 

Following another timeout, the Pirates' last-gasp three-point attempt was off the mark. 

The Eagles were the beneficiaries of a balanced scoring attack, as four players hit double-figures, led by Ana Nikulochkina's 12. 

Polina Nikulochkina and James had 11 points each and Smith, 10. 

Tallahassee will enjoy a week off before traveling to Gulf Coast State College on March 6.