Men's basketball suffers first conference loss, 76-73
1/31/2010 – Raiders suffer first conference loss, 76-73
By ADAM ROSENBERG Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4484 | arosenberg@nwfdailynews.com
TALLAHASSEE When Brian Bryant's game-tying 3-pointer attempt was arching through the air with six seconds left, it's doubtful that anyone in The Eagledome expected anything other than a tie ballgame. After all, Bryant had just scored eight points in the game's final minute to bring his Raiders back in a game that seemed all but over.
Unfortunately for the No. 2 Northwest Florida State College men's team and its perfect Panhandle Conference record, the shot was just long, hitting the back iron and getting corralled by No. 11 Tallahassee Community College. The Raiders actually got another chance to tie the game with three seconds left but couldn't get a shot off, allowing the Eagles to hold on for a big 76-73 win over the Raiders.
Bryant's 31 points weren't enough to will the Raiders (20-2, 5-1 in Panhandle Conference) past a resilient Tallahassee team. Two players whose playing status for Saturday's game was in doubt due to injury, Latraius Mosley and Toby Veal, added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
"I felt like we had a couple of guys that didn't show up tonight," said NWF State coach Bruce Stewart. "I feel like we've been thriving with our chemistry and our balance, and we didn't have that tonight."
Stewart was right about the lack of balance, as starters Sherrard Brantley and Brandon Crawford combined for just three points. In contrast, four starters scored in double figures for the Eagles (20-3, 6-1), led by Juevol Myles' 21 points.
It was Myles that got Tallahassee rolling early, scoring 15 points in the first half alone. Myles' hot hand allowed the Eagles to jump out to an early lead until the Raiders fought back midway through the first half.
Mosley, playing with a hurt wrist, kept the Raiders in the game early with 12 first-half points. Many of those came in the first minutes while Bryant was still trying to find his rhythm on offense. Outside of Bryant and Mosley, three other Raiders combined for five first-half points as NWF State went to halftime down 35-33.
"I don't know if we had a big head or thought we had this league won, but we came in and played timid," Stewart said. "They wanted the game a little bit more than we did. They earned it."
The Raiders made Tallahassee earn it erasing a seven-point deficit after halftime and then trading buckets throughout most of the second half. The Raiders built a sevenpoint lead with 10 minutes to play, but as good teams do at home, the Eagles made a run.
Behind Hugh Robertson and Myles, the Eagles fought back to build another seven-point cushion with a minute left. That's when Bryant nearly won the game for his struggling teammates.
Facing intense pressure, Bryant made two 3-pointers and a put-back floater to bring his team within three points. But his last shot went a hair long, and the Raiders will play coming off a conference loss for the first time this season when they host Chipola on Wednesday.
NWF State (20-1, 5-0): Brian Bryant 31, Latraius Mosley 15, Toby Veal 14, Kahlil Owens 6, Michael Panaggio 4, Sherrard Brantley 3.
Tallahassee: (19-3, 5-1): Juevol Myles 21, Hugh Robertson 17, Michael Spease 11, Bernard James 11, Malachi Leonard 6, Tim Owens 4, Terrell Barrett 4, Carlyle Francis 2.
Halftime: Tallahassee 35, NWF State 33. 3-point goals: NWF State 5-21 (Bryant 3), Tallahassee 7-16 (Robertson 3). Rebounds: NWF State 41 (Mosley 9), Tallahassee 39 (James 13). Assists: NWF State 8 (Bryant 3), Tallahassee 9 (Robertson, Spease, Leonard 2). Blocks: NWF State 5 (Bryant 2), Tallahassee 14 (Myles, James 4). Fouls: NWF State 18, Tallahassee 14.