Commodores secure a spot in the 2025 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Basketball Championship
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
28 | 28 | 56 |
|
|
31 | 38 | 69 |
Team Stats
Pensacola State College
| Game Statistics | Pensacola State College | Gulf Coast State College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (19-56) | (27-57) |
| Field Goal % | 33.9% | 47.4% |
| Rebounds | 24 | 42 |
| Assists | 16 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 10 | 9 |
Panama City, FL - On Saturday, March 1st the #15 Commodores defeated the #20 Pensacola Pirates 69-56. With the win, the Commodores clinched 2nd place in the Panhandle Conference, punching their ticket into the 2025 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Men's Basketball Championships! The Commodores are aiming to earn a spot in the Men's Basketball National Tournament, hoping to match and surpass the success of the 2020 team, which won the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Championship. Unfortunately, the 2020 squad never got the chance to compete at the national level due to COVID-19 restrictions canceling the tournament. The last time Gulf Coast State's men's basketball program made it to the National Tournament was in 1972, when they finished an impressive third in the nation.
The Gulf Coast Commodores were led by sophomores Chip Brunt and Christian Harmon in an exciting game. Brunt had a great night, making 10 of his 17 shots (58.8%), grabbing 6 rebounds, and scoring 22 points. Harmon also played well, scoring 21 points, making 8 of his 15 shots (53.3%), hitting 3 three-pointers, and pulling down 6 rebounds.
The Pirates kept the game close in the first half, only trailing the Commodores 31-28 at halftime. At the start of the second half, the Commodores went on a 7-0 run, quickly building a lead. They stayed ahead by about 10 points for most of the half.
With five minutes left, the Commodores had another big 7-0 run. Harmon scored two points, then hit a three-pointer, and Brunt finished it off with a slam dunk.
The game ended with some exciting plays. Emmanuel James saved an over thrown ball headed toward the score table, made a behind-the-back pass to Truman Claytor, who threw down a dunk. Then, with just 32 seconds left, Prince Johnson blocked a shot to seal the victory.
Final conference game of the season
Both basketball teams are hitting the road today for their final conference game of the season. They will face NWF in a rescheduled matchup from the snow delay. The Lady Commodores play at 5:15 p.m., followed by the Commodores at 7:30 p.m. Catch the game on https://nwfraiders.com/multimedia/WATCH_LIVE
2025 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Basketball Championships links
Women's tournament bracket (seeding will be announced on Friday, March 7th)
Men's tournament bracket (seeding will be announced on Friday, March 7th)
Photo credit to Region8Tourney