Men's Basketball | Toccoa Falls College

Eagles Season Ends with Semifinal Loss

TFC’s men’s basketball team fell on Friday night to Florida Christian College in the semifinals of the South Region tournament in Clearwater, Florida. After defeating tournament hosts Clearwater Christian College 78 – 62 on Thursday in the quarterfinals, the #4 seeded Eagles faced the tournament’s top seed Florida Christian College for a spot in the region championship. TFC was unable to slow the Suns’ attack and lost 99 – 81.

The Eagles and Suns traded baskets in the opening minutes with neither team holding more than a three point advantage. The Eagles led 21 – 20 nearly 10 minutes into the game, but that lead would be their last of the evening. Over the next five minutes, FCC would go on a 12 – 4 run that would build a 32 – 25 lead. TFC closed the gap to 45 – 37 in the final seconds of the half, but their momentum was lost as FCC converted a three point play as the first half clock expired. The converted three point play gave FCC a 48 – 37 lead at the half.

The second half began with another FCC scoring run that TFC struggled to prevent. The Suns opened the second half with 19 – 8 run that put the Eagles behind 69 – 44. When Coach Jason Mehl called a timeout for the Eagles with 7:40 left in the game and his team trailing 78 – 49, he challenged his team. “It would have been really easy for a young team to quit and pack it in. I was really proud that we kept fighting,” said Mehl. The young Eagles closed the gap, but the frantic final minutes ended TFC’s season, 99 – 81. Coach Mehl added, “Florida Christian went on several scoring runs that we didn’t really have an answer for. But I’m really proud of this team. We matured over the season and built a nice foundation to build on.”

Sophomore Josh Barrett was selected to first team All – Region and had 10 points for the Eagles. Fellow Sophomore Derek Westfall lead the Eagles in scoring against FCC with 25 points.Westfall was selected second team All – Region for the season. Josh Johnson and Freddie Harrell added 13 and 10 points, respectively. The semifinal loss marked the end of the career for TFC’s lone senior, John Sinclair.

TFC Defeats Clearwater, Advances in Region Tournament

The men’s basketball team from Toccoa Falls College traveled to Clearwater, Florida, on Thursday to face Clearwater Christian College in the quarterfinals of the South Region tournament. #4 TFC used intense defense and a high field goal percentage to defeat #5 Clearwater, 78 – 62.

Within the game’s first 6 minutes, the Eagles had forced the tournament hosts into several turnovers and transitioned defense into offensive lay ups. TFC jumped to a 16 – 9 lead at the 14:25 mark, and forced Clearwater to call a timeout to slow the Eagles. The Cougars closed the gap to 18 – 14 before the Eagles would go on a 8 – 0 scoring run for a 26 – 14 lead. TFC would increase their first half lead to as many as 19 points, highlighted by a Carlos Hamlett steal and assist to Freddie Harrell for a lay up as the first half clock expired. Harrell’s lay up gave TFC a 46 – 27 lead at the intermission.

TFC was able to carry their strong first half into the opening minutes of the new half. The Eagles opened the second half on an 13 – 3 run that would extend their lead to 59 – 30. The 29 point difference would be the Eagles largest lead of the night. TFC continued to beat the Cougars to loose balls and built a 69 – 43 lead with 7 minutes remaining in the game. Clearwater would end the game with a 19 – 9 run of their own, but the Cougars were unable to overcome the large deficit. The Eagles advanced to the South Region semifinals with a 78 – 62 win.

Nine different players scored the for Eagles, led by Freddie Harrell’s 17 points. Derek Westfall added 15 points in just 18 minutes of playing time. Carlos Hamlett’s energy in the first half was a spark for the team, and he finished with 12 points. Josh Barrett narrowly missed out on a triple double, finishing with 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.

#4 TFC will face #1 Florida Christian College Friday night at 8:00 for a spot in the region championship game. The Eagles are 0 – 2 against the Suns this season, but held a double digit lead over FCC in their last match up before falling 87 – 83 in the final seconds. Also in action on Friday will be the TFC Lady Eagles. #4 Lady Eagles will face #1 Trinity Baptist College at 1:30 in the women’s semifinals. Friday’s games will be streamed online at 1:30 and 8:00, respectively, under the “view live event” tab here.

Eagles Wrap Up Regular Season

The men’s basketball team at Toccoa Falls College finished their regular season schedule by going 1 – 3 in a busy week. On February 11, the Eagles traveled to Piedmont International University and were victorious 77 – 74. The following day, February 12, TFC traveled to Warren Wilson College and were defeated 60 -47. NCAA Division II North Greenville University defeated TFC 106 – 65 on February 14. In the final regular season game, the Eagles hosted Johnson and Wales University on February 16 and fell to the visitors 61- 58.

In the victory over Piedmont International, the Eagles built a 13 point lead in the first half, only to see that lead diminished to 42 – 35 at the half. TFC once again held a 13 point lead over PIU, but the home Bruins capitalized on a string of turnovers and missed shots to take the lead with less than a minute remaining. With possession of the ball but trailing 74 – 72, the Eagles called a play for sharpshooter Jon Sauls. Carlos Hamlett fed the ball to Sauls on the wing for an open three pointer. Sauls’ fifth made three of the game gave TFC a 75 – 74 lead with 12 seconds remaining. TFC’s Derek Westfall, playing with four fouls, stole the ball on PIU’s ensuing offensive possession, and quickly passed to Josh Barrett. Barrett was fouled and converted both free throws for a three point lead with 2.9 seconds left. The Bruins missed a half court heave to secure a 77 – 74 win for TFC.

Coach Mehl said of the win, “It was a huge win for us. We’ve been in so many close games this year, but we haven’t been able to put ourselves in the position to hit the big shots and close out the game.”

Josh Barrett lead the Eagles in scoring with 21 points on 11 – 12 shooting from the line. Westfall and Sauls each finished with 17 points, and Carlos Hamlett added 12.

In the loss at Warren Wilson, TFC had built a 29 – 15 halftime advantage. However, tired legs from four games in five days would cause the Eagles to lose their lead in the second half, and they were beaten 60 – 47. TFC’s Josh Barrett again led the Eagles with 11 points and 5 assists. Jon Sauls added 10 points in the effort.

From the opening tip at home against North Greenville, North Greenville looked to push the tempo offensively, and were successful in getting good shots in transition. The Crusaders used their tempo to jump to an early double digit within 8 minutes of the tip off. The Eagles closed the gap to 20 – 29 with ten minutes remaining, but that is as close as the Eagles would get. Despite shooting a respectable 40% from the field in the opening period, the Eagles were topped by the Crusaders’ 60% shooting. In the second half, TFC began to press offensively and saw their field goal percentage drop to 28% in the half, including 0 – 13 from behind the three point line. Unable to close the gap, the Eagles would fall 65 – 106.

TFC’s Josh Barrett led the Eagles with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Derek Westfall added 14 points and 7 boards in the loss.

In the final regular season game of the season, the Eagles hosted Johnson and Wales University. The Eagles built a 16 – 8 lead early in the first half, but would trail 28 – 30 at halftime. The second half was just as close, as the visitors from Johnson and Wales would squeak out a 61 – 58 win. TFC struggled from behind the three point line in the game, shooting just 4 – 22. Westfall and Barrett each had 19 points for the Eagles.

TFC finishes the regular season at 8 – 22, and will be the four seed in next week’s region tournament. The tournament will be hosted by Clearwater Christian College in Florida, and will be played on February 21 – 23. As the four seed, the Eagles will play hosts Clearwater Christian College in the 4/5 matchup. TFC recently beat Clearwater 94 – 79, but lost 90 – 111 earlier in the season at Clearwater.

TFC Earns Road Conference Win

The Toccoa Falls men’s basketball team traveled to region opponent Piedmont International University on Monday, February 11. The Eagles built a double digit lead in the second, but had to hit a late three pointer to pull out a 77 – 74 win. With the win, TFC has now won four straight games and 6 of their last 9.

The Eagles built a 13 point lead in the first half, only to see that lead diminished to 42 – 35 at the half. TFC once again held a 13 point lead over PIU, but the home Bruins capitalized on a string of turnovers and missed shots to take the lead with less than a minute remaining. With possession of the ball but trailing 74 – 72, the Eagles called a play for sharpshooter Jon Sauls. Carlos Hamlett fed the ball to Sauls on the wing for an open three pointer. Sauls’ fifth made three of the game gave TFC a 75 – 74 lead with 12 seconds remaining. TFC’s Derek Westfall, playing with four fouls, stole the ball on PIU’s ensuing offensive possession, and quickly passed to Josh Barrett. Barrett was fouled and converted both free throws for a three point lead with 2.9 seconds left. The Bruins missed a half court heave to secure a 77 – 74 win for TFC.

Josh Barrett lead the Eagles in scoring with 21 points on 11 – 12 shooting from the line. Westfall and Sauls each finished with 17 points, and Carlos Hamlett added 12.

The Eagles will conclude their North Carolina road trip today at Warren Wilson College, and host North Greenville University and Johnson and Wales University on February 14 and 16, respectively.

Eagles Win Third in a Row

The men’s basketball team of TFC welcomed Johnson University on February 9 for a non-conference game and won 76 – 57. The Eagles have won 6 of their last 9 games including a three game win streak.

TFC feed the ball to forward Derek Westfall early and often to build a quick, double-digit lead on Johnson. Additionally in the first half, TFC out shot Johnson 42% – 14% from behind the arc. TFC parlayed Westfall’s inside presence and the team’s accurate shooting into a 44 – 27 half time lead. The Eagles kept the large margin in the second half and pulled away for the 76 – 57 win. On the night, the Eagles shot 83% from the free throw line, and won the turnover battle 18 – 10. “It’s great to get three wins in a row,” Coach Mehl reflected. “I hope we can carry this momentum into a tough last week and then into the conference tournament.”

Individually, Derek Westfall finished with a season high 29 points and 10 rebounds with 14 – 18 from the field. Josh Barrett added 20 points on 4 – 8 three point shooting for the Eagles.

TFC will travel to Piedmont International University and Warren Wilson College on February 11 and 12, respectively. The Eagles return home to host North Greenville University on February 14 at 7:00. The final home game of the year will be on February 16 at 4:00 as TFC hosts Johnson and Wales University.

TFC Wins Region Game

TFC men’s basketball team hosted region opponent Trinity College of Florida on Friday, February 8. The Eagles outplayed Trinity in all facets of the game and won 98 – 67.

The Eagles jumped to an early lead over Trinity by creating turnovers and out shooting Trinity 35% – 11% from three point range in the first half. At the half, the Eagles had built a commanding 48 – 35 lead. TFC shot 20 – 36 (55%) from the field in the second half to put the game out of reach for the visiting Tigers.

TFC’s Josh Johnson led the Eagles with a career high 22 points. Josh Barrett had 17 points and 9 assists, and Derek Westfall and Freddie Harrell each added 14 points for the Eagles. Michael Coffey scored 31 points for Trinity in the loss.

Eagles Route Clearwater

TFC hosted region opponent Clearwater Christian College on Saturday, February 2. The Eagles exploded for 57 points in the second half on their way to a 94 – 79 victory.

Following a heartbreaking loss to #3 Florida Christian, the Eagles were forced to recover quickly in order to beat Clearwater. The Eagles showed mental toughness early as they came out with high intensity on defense. The Eagles used the defensive effort and 7 – 8 from the free throw line to take a 39 – 34 lead at halftime.

TFC created several turnovers from the Cougars and easy transition baskets to extend their lead into double digits shortly into the second half. The Eagles would win the turnover battle on the evening 30 – 13. With 10 minutes remaining in the game, TFC had built a 20 point lead. Though Clearwater attempted to turn up their own defensive pressure, the Eagles would not relent and hung on for a 94 – 79 victory.

Derek Westfall and Josh Barrett lead the Eagles in scoring with 19 points each. Freddie Harrell and John Sauls added 14 and 13 points, respectively. Fan favorite Adam Hitten came off the bench and scored 11 points on 4 – 7 shooting. Clearwater was led by Jonah Dew’s 20 points and 12 rebounds. Devin Paularinne added 19 points for the Cougars.

TFC will host region foe Trinity College on February 8 at 7:00. On February 9, the Eagles will host Johnson University at 4:00.

TFC Falls at Home

TFC men’s basketball hosted NCAA Division III Sewanee University on January 29. The Eagles played a physical, scrappy game on the defensive end, but were defeated 47 – 65.

The Sewanee Tigers used a motion offense and back screens to jump to an early double digit lead. The Eagles struggled to match the Tigers scoring rate, shooting just 24% from the floor in the first half. Conversely, the visiting Tigers shot 46% in the opening half. The Eagles poor shooting percentage and lack of defensive stops put the Eagles behind 17 – 36 at the half. The Tigers widened their lead to nearly 30 points before the Eagles adjusted to a zone defense. The intense zone forced Sewanee to settle for several long jump shots, including 1 – 13 from three point range in the second half. The improved defensive effort helped the Eagles to get within 13 points with 3:30 remaining in the game. However, despite outscoring Sewanee 30 – 29 in the half, TFC was unable to overcome the first half deficit and fell 47 – 65. “I keep saying it because it’s true. We’re young, but we’re getting better and growing up each game,” said Coach Jason Mehl.

TFC was led in scoring by sophomore Jon Sauls with 12 points. Sauls shot 4 -12 from behind the three point arc in the contest. Carlos Hamlett added 11 for the Eagles, and Josh Barrett contributed 10 points and four assists.

The Eagles will host region opponents Florida Christian College on Friday and Clearwater Christian College on Saturday. Friday’s contest against FCC will tip off at 7:00. On Saturday the men’s game will follow the Lady Eagles 1:00 game against Clearwater.

Eagles Split Conference Road Games

TFC traveled to Florida to face region opponents Trinity College and Florida Christian. The Eagles defeated Trinity College 78 – 41 on the road on January 25, but lost to Florida Christian College 45 – 87 on January 26.

In game one of their Florida road trip, the Eagles handled Trinity College of Florida with ease, 78 – 41. A four point Eagles lead at halftime exploded into a blowout victory behind three consecutive three point baskets by TFC’s Jon Sauls. TFC outscored Trinity 49 – 17 in the second half with 59% field goal shooting. Derek Westfall led the Eagles with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Jon Sauls and Josh Johnson each added 12 points. Josh Barrett lead the Eagles with 8 assists to go with his 9 points. Donavan Smith had a team hgh 10 rebounds and 8 points. Coach Jason Mehl spoke of the win as a whole team victory, “Everyone played and made quality contributions on offense and defense.”

The final stop on the road trip was against #3 ranked Florida Christian College Suns. FCC used physical, high pressure defense to take a double digit lead in the first half. To attempt a comeback, the Eagles were forced into three point attempts, but were unable to continue their hot shooting from the Trinity game. After shooting 47% from the field in their victory over Trinity College, the Eagles shot a lowly 27% against the Suns including just 4 – 20 from three point range. Josh Johnson lead the Eagles with 12 points. Josh Barrett and Carlos Hamlett each added 10 points.

By going 1 – 1 on the road trip, the Eagles improved their overall record to 4 – 17. The Eagles will host Sewanee University on Tuesday, January 28 before hosting two important conference games. Florida Christian’s return trip to TFC will be on Friday, February 1 at 7:00. The Eagles will also host conference rival Clearwater Christian College on February 2 at 3:00.

TFC Victorious at Home

The TFC Eagles hosted Georgia Northwestern Tech on Thursday. In their best shooting performance of the season, the Eagles were victorious 73 – 70.

After laminating their mischances in close losses over the course of the season, the Eagles put special emphasis on increasing their field goal percentage in hopes of changing tight losses into victories. In the first half against Georgia Northwestern the Eagles shot 45% from the field including 9 – 18 shooting from three point range. Georgia Northwestern matched TFC’s shooting, and shot 54% in the first half. The Eagles closed the physical first half with a 39 – 37 lead. To start the second period, TFC went on a 21 – 6 run to open a 60 – 43 lead. The visiting Bobcats increased their defensive pressure and cut the Eagles’ lead to single digits with less than 3 minutes remaining. Leading by 2, TFC’s Josh Barrett intercepted a full court pass from the Bobcats, was subsequently fouled and converted both free throws to increase the lead to four with less than a minute remaining. The Bobcats cut the lead to three, but ran out of time as a full court heave fell short as the buzzer sounded. With the 73 – 70 win, the Eagles snapped a 15 game losing streak. The Eagles finished the game with 47% shooting from the field.

Barrett led the Eagles’ in scoring with 23 points. Derek Westfall contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds. Jon Sauls had 14 points, and Carlos Hamlett added 10. Donavan Smith led the Eagles on the defensive end and helped the Eagles to win the turnover battle 21 – 11.

The Eagles will travel to Trinity College of Florida on Friday and to Florida Christian College on Saturday for region games. The Eagles will return home on January 29 to host Sewanee University at 8:00.

Eagles Fall Late to Bruins

The Toccoa Falls College men’s basketball team welcomed Piedmont International University to campus on Saturday for a non-region game. The Eagles played excellent team defense but struggled from the floor, and fell 53 – 59 .

The two evenly matched teams traded field goals throughout the opening minutes of the game. Despite the Eagles shooting only 1-10 from three point range, they remained within four points of PIU in the first half. PIU’s 28 – 24 halftime lead was the Eagles largest deficit of the half. The Eagles continued to struggle from the floor early in the second half and quickly found themselves in a double digit hole. The inside presence of TFC’s Derek Westfall and Billy Aristide closed the gap to three points with less than five minutes remaining. The deficit would remain at three points within the final minutes of the game until PIU sealed the victory from the free throw line. The Bruins, led by Tony Hsu’s 4-4 free throw shooting, shot 10-12 from the line in the second half to seal the Eagles fate. Coach Mehl was pleased with his team’s defensive effort, but laminated the Eagles 33% shooting performance, “Donavan Smith, Josh Johnson, and Carlos Hamlett did a great job of guarding their top two scorers. But we are a much better shooting team than we showed.”

Josh Barrett led the Eagles in scoring with 15 points, and Westfall added 14. Aristide grabbed 15 rebounds to go with his 8 points. The Eagles will host Georgia Northwestern Tech on Tuesday at 7:00 before heading to Florida to face Trinity College of Florida and Florida Christian College on January 25 and 26, respectively.

TFC Downed By Bob Jones

TFC traveled to Greenville, South Carolina, on January 12 to face the Bob Jones University Bruins. The Eagles could not hold a second half lead, and fell 61 – 53.

Bob Jones used defensive pressure and precise ball movement to jump to an early 11 – 3 lead over TFC. However, TFC’s Derek Westfall sank a pair of free throws with 11 minutes left in the opening period to cap an 8 – 2 scoring run by TFC, and bring the Eagles within 13 – 11. The teams would trade baskets until Bob Jones used a jumper as the first half expired to increased their lead to 26 – 19.

Back to back lay ups for TFC’s Billy Aristide started the second half and immediately closed BJU’s lead to three points. Josh Johnson’s jumper tied the game at 28 – 28 with 16:08 remaining, and Donavon Smith hit back to back three’s to give the Eagles their first lead of the game at 38 – 36. Following Smith’s baskets, the Eagles struggled from the floor and fell behind by as many as 10 points late in the second half. The Eagles were forced to send the Bruins to the free throw line in attempts to lengthen the game, but the Bruins hit the late free throws to seal the Eagles fate, 61 – 53.

Coach Jason Mehl said of his team’s defeat, “The story of our season is that we haven’t been putting together complete games. Against Bob Jones we played solid defense, but couldn’t execute offensively. We turned it over 20 times, many of those were unforced. And we missed half of our free throws. We’re young, but we should be further in our development than we are. It’s my job to turn that around.”

Leading the Eagles in scoring were John Sauls and Carlos Hamlett with 9 points each. Donavan Smith added 8 points and 8 rebounds, but his hustle on the defensive end was just as crucial for the Eagles. Derek Westfall contributed 7 for the Eagles. The Eagles will travel to Montreat College on Jan. 15 and Piedmont International University on Jan. 17 before hosting Piedmont International on January 19 at 3:00

Eagles Unable to Hold Late Lead

The men’s basketball team returned to the court on Thursday as they traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face Johnson and Wales University. The Eagles could not sustain a late lead, and fell to the Wildcats, 61 – 64.

In their first game of 2013, the long layoff was evident for the Eagles, and they fell behind 4 -19 in the early minutes of the game. As they have been all year, the Eagles were resilient, and closed the gap to just 30 – 34 at the half. TFC continued their first half momentum, and took their first lead of the game at 44 – 43 halfway into the second period. High percentage shooting and hustle on the defensive end grew the Eagles advantage to as many as 9 points with less than five minutes to play. The Wildcats converted on five consecutive possessions, forced the Eagles into turnovers and difficult field goal attempts, and retook the lead 62 – 60 with less than two minutes to play. Down 61 – 64 with 10 seconds remaining, the Eagles were fouled on a three point attempt, but were unable to convert from the free throw line. The missed opportunities ended the game in a 61 – 64 loss.

“It’s clear to me that we’re continuing to get better. Johnson and Wales is a talented and athletic team that can score, and it was great that we were able to come back from being down 19-4. We were able to keep their scoring in check and go up 9 points late in the second half,” Coach Mehl said of his team’s effort. “However, down the stretch, we failed to make the necessary plays to keep pressure on their defense, and they capitalized on our turnovers and missed shots and took the game back from us.”

Josh Barrett and Derek Westfall lead the Eagles in scoring with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Freddie Harrell scored 9 and grabbed 8 rebounds for TFC.

The Lady Eagles will join the men on the road on Saturday, as both teams travel to Greenville, South Carolina, to face the Bob Jones Bruins. The Lady Eagles will tip off at 2:00, and the men’s game will follow. The first home game of the new semester will be on January 15 when the Lady Eagles host Northland International University at 5:00.

TFC Downed By NCAA Opponent

The Toccoa Falls College Eagles traveled to Conway, South Carolina, to face NCAA division one opponent, Coastal Carolina University on December 13. The Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina have participated in the NIT national tournament for two of the last three seasons. TFC held their own in the mismatch for large portions of the game, but fell in the end, 38 – 75.

TFC planned to slow the game’s tempo and allow time to run off the clock before attacking the basket. Their game plan was successful in the opening minutes of the game as TFC was behind 17 – 15 with 8 minutes left in the first half. The slow tempo, however, did not affect the Eagles shooting. TFC’s Josh Barrett hit three of TFC’s five three point shots in the opening half. Barrett led the Eagles with 11 points in the half. As a team, the Eagles shot 44%, and played their best half of basketball of the season. A 13 – 5 run by Coastal Carolina to end the half pushed the deficit to 34 -25 at the half.

The Eagles were unable to keep the game close in the second half. The Chanticleers forced the Eagles into turnovers and capitalized on the transition points. When the Eagles were patient in their shot selection, they struggled to convert. The Eagles shot just 18% from the floor in the second half. Second half turnovers and cold shooting doomed the Eagles in their upset bid, and were defeated 38 – 75.

Coach Jason Mehl was very proud of his team’s effort. “I hope we realize what we can do when we are on the same page. This was a great way to close the first half of the season.”

Josh Barrett finished the game 4 – 8 shooting from three point range, and led the Eagles with 20 points. Freddie Harrell contributed with 6 rebounds and 5 points for the Eagles. TFC will not play again until after the Christmas break. On January 10,TFC will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina for a game against Johnson and Wales. The Lady Eagles will join the men in Greenville, South Carolina, on January 12 to face Bob Jones University.

Eagles Drop Conference Road Games

Toccoa Falls College men’s basketball team traveled to Florida on November 30 – December 1 to take on region opponents Clearwater Christian College and Trinity Baptist College. The Eagles dropped both games on the road trip, and fell to 2 – 8 on the season.

In the first game of the weekend, TFC was hosted by Clearwater Christian College (3 – 5). The first half opened with a fast tempo, in which both teams attempted to set the tone. TFC’s Josh Barrett hit four three-pointers in the opening minutes, but midway through the opening half, CCC held a slight 39 – 38 lead. Several unforced errors from the Eagles allowed easy transition points for the Cougars, who extended their lead to 55 – 46 at the halftime whistle. The fast tempo, turnovers by the Eagles, and poor transition defense gave the Cougars all they needed in the second half to come away with the 21 point win, 111 – 90. Coach Jason Mehl identified the area in which his team needs to improve, “We’ve obviously got the ability to put points on the board, but we’ve got to be more effective at stopping opponents from doing what they want.”

The Eagles ended the road trip in Jacksonville, Florida, against undefeated Trinity Baptist College (6-0). Trinity’s defensive zone and three quarters court pressure disrupted TFC’s offensive flow. The defensive pressure forced 16 first half turnovers, and the TFC Eagles found themselves down at the half, 40 – 23. LaVargio Ellis, Josh Johnson and Adam Hiten gave TFC good defensive energy and closed the gap to 10 in the second half. Trinity Baptist once again turned up the defensive pressure to pull away, 87-66. For the Eagles, Josh Barrett and Josh Johnson each scored 15 points, and Ellis added 10. Barrett also had six assists. Derek Westfall led the Eagles with 13 rebounds in the loss.

The Eagles will host Montreat College on December 6. TFC’s final games before the Christmas break will be on December 7 – 8 at Sewanee University in Tennessee as they face Oglethorpe University and Sewanee.

TFC Defeats Johnson University, 97-65

The TFC Eagles traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, to face Johnson University on November 10. Coming off their first loss of the year and facing an opponent that has been very competitive in the past, TFC’s young team answered the challenges and defeated Johnson 97-65.

TFC dictated the tempo of the first half by utilizing their full court pressure. The intense defense from the Eagles forced Johnson into poor shot selections, and enabled the Eagles to establish their tempo. TFC opened a double digit lead with inside points that came from the Eagles’ furious pace in the game. By converting defensive pressure into offensive points, the Eagles took a 45-25 half time lead. To open the second half, Johnson settled on offense and reduced the deficit to 14 points with 8 minutes left in the game. The Eagles once again turned up the pressure, and pulled away for the 32 point victory.

All nine of TFC players scored in the win. Forward Billy Aristide and guard Josh Johnson led a balanced attack with 25 points each. Josh Johnson hit five threes pointers. Carlos Hamlett had 13, Derek Westfall had 11, and Josh Barrett added 10.

Coach Jason Mehl said of his team’s effort, “It was nice to see guys bounce back from the North Greenville loss, and play a game where we dictated the pace. We accomplished what we wanted at both ends of the floor.”

The Eagles will host Bob Jones University on Tuesday night in their first home game of the season. The Lady Eagles will tip off against BJU at 5:00, and the men’s game will follow.

Eagles Suffer First Loss of the Season

TFC’s men’s basketball team traveled to Greenville, South Carolina, to face the North Greenville Crusaders on November 9. The Eagles (2-1) played well against the NCAA Division II Crusaders (1-0), but fell 110-79.

The Eagles began the game with good energy and focus. TFC found Billy Aristide inside early, and hit a few threes to jump to a 19-13 lead seven minutes into the game. NGU answered with a 19-3 run to take a 10-point lead. The home side maintained that lead at halftime, 46-36. TFC cut the lead to six to start the second half, but the Crusaders answered the challenge again with heavy pressure on the ball. The increased defensive pressure derailed TFC’s offense, and forced the Eagles into turnovers and poor shot selections. NGU used TFC’s errors to their advantage, and converted an 18-2 run. The change in momentum was too much for the Eagles to overcome, and TFC lost 110-79.

Coach Jason Mehl said, “I was pleased with the way we played against bigger and stronger guys. We let them go on two big runs because we made some bad decisions and gave up some offensive rebounds. Those are things we can fix in future games. I never had a reason to doubt our effort all night.”

Josh Barrett led the team in scoring with 17 points. Billy Aristide scored 15 and grabbed 13 rebounds. Freddie Harrell and Josh Johnson had 12 points each.

TFC’s first home games of the season will be played on November 13 against Bob Jones Bruins. The Lady Eagles will tip off at 5:00 and the men will follow at 7:00.

New Look Eagles Begin Season 1-0

The TFC Eagles basketball team opened their 2012-2013 season with a road win over Georgia Northwestern Technical College on Friday. The new look Eagles return only two starters from last season’s squad; neither of whom were at full strength for the opening game. Additionally, the victory was TFC’s first game under new coach, Jason Mehl. With only 7 players available, the opening game of the season would be a physical and mental test for the Eagles.

TFC took the lead off the opening tip, and never relinquished the advantage. TFC freshman Carlos Hamlett hit two early threes and helped the Eagles establish a double-digit, first half lead. The lead, which would extend as wide as 14 points in the first half, could be credited to the Eagles patient offensive discipline. The Bobcats of Georgia Northwestern played a conservative zone that allowed the Eagles to remain patient and be selective with their shots. Conversely, TFC’s Josh Johnson and the rest of the Eagles’ guards pressured the Bobcats’ ball handlers and contested each entry pass to the low post. TFC’s patience on the offense end and swarming defensive pressure helped TFC to end the half with a 31-23 lead. Hamlett led the Eagles in the opening half with 12 perimeter points. Derek Westfall added 9 from the interior.

The inexperience of the Eagles was revealed for moments in the second half. An uninspired effort in the opening minutes of the second half allowed the Bobcats to slowly close the gap. With just 7 minutes remaining in the game, the Eagles’ once double digit lead had been reduced to just two points. TFC was able to tighten their defense, and rebuilt the lead to nine points at the final whistle. Hamlett finished with a team high 18 points. Westfall contributed 17 points and 7 rebounds. Billy Aristide and Freddie Harell each grabbed 8 boards for the Eagles. Harell also added 8 points from his point guard position. First year coach Jason Mehl said after the win, “I was very proud of how all of our guys stepped up. We played hard and smart even though we were undermanned. That says a lot for a young team playing its first game on the road.”

TFC will travel to NCAA Division II North Greenville University for a non-region game next Saturday, November 9. The first home games of the new season will be on November 13 against Bob Jones University. The Lady Eagles will tip off against the Bob Jones Bruins at 5:00, and the men’s game will follow at 7:00.

TFC Defeats Alumni, 82-64

TFC basketball officially kicked off a new season with their annual alumni exhibition game on October 12. The Friday night game opened the homecoming activities, and was well attended by those who return to campus. The Eagles have only had a week of practice to create team chemistry and install a new system under first year coach Jason Mehl. In an exciting game in which the alumni team showed resilient effort, the current team of Eagles defeated the alumni, 82-64.

With 12 new players, the game tipped off with the usual excitement and energy. The Eagles were able to grow a 17 point lead in the first half, though the alumni closed the margin to 13 points at the intermission. Shortly after the intermission, the alumni rallied and got within striking distance. However, the alumni team grew fatigued and hot shooting from the Eagles dismissed any hopes the alumni had of an upset. TFC’s Jon Sauls helped to bury the alumni. Sauls hit three consecutive three point shots to return TFC’s lead to double digits. The lead would increase in the final minutes, and TFC finished the game, 82-64.

Billy Aristide led the Eagles with 22 points in the game. Cam Williams contributed with 15, and Sauls added 12. Jachin Wettstone (class of 2009) scored 22 points for the alumni team.

TFC will begin the regular season on November 2 at Northwest Georgia Tech in Rome, Georgia. The home opener will be on November13 as the Eagles host Bob Jones University at 7:00.

Alumni Scrimmage, Homecoming 2012

Any alumni planing to return for Friday’s Alumni Scrimmage, please send an email to Coach Mehl (jmehl@tfc.edu) so we know how many players to expect and can plan accordingly.

Tryouts

There will be an open tryout for the TFC Men’s Basketball Team on Sept. 14 at 4:00 in the gym. There will be an information meeting regarding the tryout on Sept. 12 at 4:00 in the gym. Anyone interested in playing basketball for TFC this season MUST attend and participate in both the meeting and tryout.

Men’s Basketball Program Announces Prospective Player Workout Dates
The Toccoa Falls College men’s basketball program will be holding three workout dates this Spring for prospective players. The dates for these workouts are March 24, April 14, and May 5. All workouts will start at 10:00 a.m. and players are encouraged to bring a copy of their academic transcripts and SAT/ACT scores. If you have any questions you can email Coach Martin at lmartin@tfc.edu.