This Friday, Gulf Coast’s men’s team matched up with the Florida Southwest Buccaneers in Tallahassee. It was quite a challenge for the Commodores, as it was a closely contested game from the tip off. Nothing came easy for Gulf Coast, as the Buccaneers’ interior defense was stifling in the first half leading the Commodores to have a higher 3 point field goal percentage than their overall field goal percentage. Jaxon Ellingworth recorded 12 first half points and the Commodores went into the break leading 29-23.
The second half was even more tightly contested as the lead switched hands multiple times. The tension was rising in the arena as the clock winded down. Gulf Coast was holding on to a precious one point lead with 30 seconds left in the game. Florida Southwest held the ball for the last shot, but Tahj Johnson swatted away the attempted game winner. The Commodore bench was electric as they congratulated Johnson on his clutch play to seal the 61-60 win. Andre Young finished the game with 10 points and 5 rebounds. Young believes the team kept their focus and avoided mental errors, stating, “You can’t let one bad play lead on to the next, you have to let it go and focus on the rest of the game.” The Commodores will have a couple of weeks to rest before their next game where they will face Georgia Highlands at home on December 30th.
Ben Blake
Student Writer - Spring 2024
A hopeful future sportswriter, Ben Blake is a Panama City native who specializes in his favorite sport, basketball. He has played, refereed, and even coached basketball throughout his life. Currently, Ben is writing for the Gulf Coast Commodores and their men’s and women’s teams.