MBB
66
Pensacola Christian College PCC 6-7
71
Winner Toccoa Falls College TFC 6-7
Pensacola Christian College PCC
6-7
66
Final
71
Toccoa Falls College TFC
6-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Pensacola Christian College PCC 26 40 66
Toccoa Falls College TFC 32 39 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Braden Mottor

Eagles Battle to the Finish in Road Loss at Toccoa Falls

Game Recap:
After a strong performance in the team's road victory over Welch College, the Eagles remained away from home to take on South Region opponent Toccoa Falls College. In a 40-minute thriller, neither team led by more than nine points, with six lead changes and eleven ties highlighting the intensity of the contest. Despite outscoring Toccoa Falls in the second half, the Eagles ultimately came up five points short in their first region game of the season.

After both teams were held scoreless on their opening two possessions, Liam Gerdts opened the scoring with a three-pointer off a Josh Azucena assist. Toccoa Falls quickly answered with three unanswered scoring possessions to take their first lead of the game. Back-to-back buckets by Paul Stickles cut the deficit to just one, before Luke Peck came off the bench and knocked down a three-pointer following a steal and assist from Stickles. A quick 6–0 run by Toccoa Falls regained the advantage, and the home team held the lead for the remainder of the half. The Eagles tied the game with just under four minutes remaining in the half after Gerdts connected on his second three-pointer, but Toccoa Falls closed the half on an 8–2 run to take a six-point lead into the break, 32–26.

The Eagles came out of halftime energized, sparked by an impressive stretch from Josh Azucena, who scored eight straight points to tie the game at 34–34. Following back-to-back buckets from Kaiden Pack and Raul Bertinato and a free throw from Stickles, the Eagles claimed a 39–36 advantage, opening the second half on a 13–4 run in the first five minutes.

Over the next seven minutes, the teams traded baskets with six ties appearing on the scoreboard. With the game knotted at 50 apiece, Toccoa Falls went on a decisive 10–2 run, fueled by six made free throws as the Eagles committed four fouls during the stretch. Despite trailing by eight with under five minutes remaining, the Eagles made one final push. Buckets from Woods, Bertinato, and Gerdts cut the deficit to just two points with a little over two minutes to play.

Toccoa Falls responded with a quick 5–0 counter run, pushing the lead back to seven. The hosts sealed the game at the free-throw line, converting six free throws down the stretch. Late three-pointers from Gerdts and Peck kept the pressure on, but the Eagles ultimately fell by five points in a tightly contested battle.

Liam Gerdts led the Eagles with 16 points, 3 blocks, and 3 steals in 36 minutes of action. Senior guard Josh Azucena posted his highest scoring performance since November 23, finishing with 15 points and 5 rebounds in 36 minutes played. Sophomore Raul Bertinato rounded out the double-digit scorers, shooting an efficient 6-for-9 from the field for 13 points while pulling down 10 rebounds to record his fifth double-double of the season. Bertinato also added 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in 32 minutes, marking his second-highest usage game of the year.

What's Next:
The Eagles travel to Greenville, South Carolina on Saturday to face South Region rival Bob Jones University. With each team winning on the road in the series last season, the Eagles will look to continue the trend with another road victory over the Bruins.
 
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