MBB
71
LB Wallace Community College LBW 10-13
74
Winner Pensacola Christian College PCC 10-7
LB Wallace Community College LBW
10-13
71
Final
74
Pensacola Christian College PCC
10-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
LB Wallace Community College LBW 42 29 71
Pensacola Christian College PCC 37 37 74

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Braden Mottor

Eagles Rally Late to Complete 12-Point Comeback Over LB Wallace

Game Recap:
During a two-game homestand, the Eagles moved to 2-0 at home to open the 2026 calendar year. Facing LB Wallace for just the third time in program history, the Eagles needed to stay composed against the JUCO opponent to secure their 10th win of the season. After a tightly contested first half and falling behind by as many as 12 points in the second half, the Eagles completed their largest comeback of the season to earn a narrow 74-71 victory at home.
 
The first half featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team leading by more than seven points. After surrendering a basket on the opening possession, the Eagles defense locked in early, recording three steals and a block in the opening three minutes as the teams were tied 4-4. The Saints and Eagles continued trading baskets through the first eight minutes of play, still deadlocked at 11-11.
 
Back-to-back three-pointers from Liam Gerdts, assisted by Raul Bertinato and Josh Azucena, sparked a quick 6-0 run for the Eagles, but the Saints responded immediately to even the score at 22-22. Threes from Blaise Conlon and Bertinato later in the half were not enough to create separation, as the game remained tied at 28-28. LB Wallace closed the half on a 14-9 run over the final five minutes, sending the Eagles into halftime trailing 42-37.
 
Kaiden Pack opened the second half in dominant fashion, scoring eight straight points to pull the Eagles back into the game. A transition layup by Gerdts, assisted by Bertinato, gave the Eagles their first lead since early in the first half. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Saints quickly responded. A backdoor cut by Azucena, assisted by Stickles, kept the scoring pace steady as the teams traded baskets on six straight possessions, resulting in six lead changes in just three minutes.
 
Following an Azucena three-pointer, the score was tied once again at 54-54 with just under 15 minutes remaining. The next stretch proved difficult for the Eagles, as LB Wallace went on a 13-1 run to build a 12-point lead with under nine minutes to play.
 
After three straight free throws by Pack and Azucena, the Eagles began mounting their comeback. Led by Azucena and Gerdts, the Eagles responded with a 16-4 run, fueled by 11 made free throws. Azucena knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 71-71 with under three minutes remaining.
 
Back-to-back forced turnovers by the Eagles led to a Pack basket and a free throw from Stickles, giving the Eagles a 74-71 advantage with 1:40 left on the clock. Neither team scored the rest of the way, as the two sides combined to go 0-for-4 from the field with four turnovers in the final minute. The game ended with Stickles finding Pack on a long inbound pass to run out the remaining seconds.
 
Kaiden Pack led the Eagles with 20 points, 5 steals, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists while playing a game-high 37 minutes. Liam Gerdts followed with 18 points on an efficient 6-for-13 shooting, including 4-for-10 from three-point range. Off the bench, Josh Azucena added 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Raul Bertinato rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points and 12 rebounds, recording his seventh double-double of the season while also going a perfect 4-for-4 at the line.
 
What's Next:
The Eagles return to the Nest on Saturday to host #9-ranked Toccoa Falls College. After a five-point road loss earlier this season, the Eagles will look to defend home court and extend their winning streak to four straight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 PM on Chick-fil-A Night.
 
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