Gulf Coast women secure postseason bid, Commodore men eliminated by TCC
Both the Gulf Coast men's and women's basketball teams faced virtual, if not literal, must-win games on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, though only the Commodore women ensured that their season would continue.
The Gulf Coast women earned a 74-65 victory over Tallahassee which, combined with a Pensacola State loss to Northwest Florida State, secured a top three finish in the Panhandle Conference standings for the Commodores, clinching one of the league's two at-large bids to the state tournament in Niceville.
Niceville will be the site of Tuesday's one-game playoff between Gulf Coast (18-9 overall, 7-5 in the Panhandle) and Chipola (22-6, 7-5) to decide which will be the No. 2 seed out of the Panhandle at the state tournament.
Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu scored 18 points to lead Gulf Coast, with Abby Cracknell and Ciante Downs adding 13 points each, followed by Imani Smith with eight points, and Ava Miller with seven points.
Ana Nikulochkina was the top scorer for the Eagles (3-25, 0-12) with 13 points, followed by Polina Nikulochkina and Sedayjha Payne with 11 points each.
On the men's side, it was a straightforward win-or-go-home situation for both teams, with Tallahassee's 85-77 overtime victory clinching the third spot in the state tournament out of the Panhandle.
The season ends for the Commodores at 16-12 overall and 5-7 in the Panhandle Conference. Gulf Coast overcame a 13-point deficit to tie the game in regulation and send it to overtime, but the Eagles (21-9, 6-6) outscored the Commodores 13-5 in the extra session, with a 3-pointer by Byron Smith that made it 84-76 proving to be the dagger shot.
Dericko Williams led the Eagles with 19 points, followed by Michael Isler with 17 points, Isiah Kirby with 14 points, and Smith with 10 points.
Alex Matthews was the top scorer for Gulf Coast with 22 points, with Kyle Murphy adding 13 points, and Tauris Watson and Chase Forte scoring 10 points apiece.