Gulf Coast Wins a Thriller Against TCC

As Gulf Coast fans eagerly await the upcoming matchup against Northwest Florida, the Commodores men’s and women’s teams knew they still had business to take care of as they traveled to Tallahassee on Wednesday night to play their third conference game of the season. The Lady Commodores were just recently promoted to #2 in the NJCAA rankings, and they looked to prove they deserved that ranking against the Eagles of Tallahassee Community College. Early on, there was little separation between the two teams, as the score was tied at 9 during the first media timeout. Despite this lackadaisical start, the Commodores went on a 12-0 run out of the timeout. A strong second quarter saw Gulf Coast finish the half on a 17-3 run, putting them at a comfortable 46-24 lead at the break. Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu led the way in the first half with 17 points on a perfect 6/6 shooting clip.

The big lead allowed head coach Rory Kuhn to rest his starters for most of the second half. This decision allowed backup center Clara Koulibaly to get extra runtime and she did not disappoint. The freshman big dominated the paint, finishing the game with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks. While the matchup against #1 ranked Northwest Florida looms large, Koulibaly emphasized the team keeping its focus, stating, “When it’s time to lock in, we all lock in.” The team was definitely locked in, as they cruised to an 89-57 victory.

While the women’s team was able to relax with their big win, it was a different story for the men’s team. From the tip, the game was extremely physical, and points were tough to come by. The Eagles’ fans packed the stadium and made quite a hostile environment for the Commodores. It did not help Gulf Coast that score was as close as it was, as they took a slim 37-34 point lead into halftime. Turner Harris starred in the first half with 15 points.

The second half belonged to Andre Young, however. Young led the Commodores as they pulled away from the Eagles. The lead had reached 20 points before TCC began to cut it down. The once huge lead had evaporated as the Eagles tied the game with 2 minutes remaining. After a Commodores turnover, TCC made a free throw to give them their first lead since early in the first half. The two teams exchanged blows, as Young made a layup before the Eagles hit a 3 pointer to go up 2. With 30 seconds left in regulation, Jaxon Ellingworth made a pretty midrange shot to tie the ballgame at 76. As TCC held the ball for the last shot, tensions rose in the gym. The Eagles missed a potential game winning 3, but a tip in off the rebound at the buzzer seemed to win the game for the Eagles. However, the shot was waved off by the referees, as time had just expired before the shot got off. The teams were going to overtime.

Overtime continued the battle, as there was no separation between the teams all the way to the wire. Tied at 86 and with 18 seconds left, Andre Young dribbled up the court. Everyone in the gym knew who was taking the last shot. Young sized up his opponent and moved off a screen set by Tahj Johnson. Young went up for a midrange shot and sank it with 1 second left on the clock. The crowd was stunned and after a Christian Harmon steal, the Commodores sealed their 88-86 victory. Andre Young was on fire, finishing with 31 points, 24 of them in the second half and overtime. Young focused on the team’s resiliency, stating, “We knew we can’t crack under pressure. We faced that adversity and stood tall.” Gulf Coast faces a major challenge Saturday as they play host to Northwest Florida State College, who is ranked #1 in women’s play and #6 in men’s. However, if the Commodores show as much fight as they did on Wednesday, victory would be well within their reach.