Falcons Go 2-0 Opening Week

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. - The Florida College Falcons men's basketball team started off the season with a pair of wins at home.

Thursday, October 26 vs. Thomas University

The Falcons defeated the Thomas University (Ga.) Nighthawks 83-68 in front of a huge opening night crowd. It was close the entirety of the first half, with the Falcons leading by two at intermission.

The second half saw the Falcons make one of their patented home court runs. Leading 57-55 with 7 minutes left, the Falcons went on a 23-8 run to take a 80-63 lead with a minute and change remaining. They would cruise to victory from that point on.

The Falcons were led in scoring by newcomer Keegan Zoller who scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed 6 rebounds. Three other newcomers reached double figures as well. Trent Lippoldt scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds off the bench. Tyshon Judge added 13 points and 7 rebounds. Deonte' Martinez tallied 10 points and 4 assists. Returner Drew Kramer rounded out the five double-digit scorers with 10 points and 4 rebounds.

"We weren't sure what we were going to get from our group with so many new faces, but we knew our student body would show up and they made it an incredibly hostile environment for Thomas and an amazing experience for our players," added Coach Teichmann. "Thomas is a good team that made the national tournament a season ago. Coach Cotter does a great job so this is a really nice win for us."

Friday, October 27 vs. Johnson University Florida

The Falcons continued their winning ways at home against the Suns of Johnson University (Fla.), 97-52. The Falcons started out the game up 10-2 and never looked back. They led by 20 at the break. The second half saw all 12 dressed Falcon players check in the game and score.

The Falcons were led in scoring by junior guard Deonte' Martinez with 17 points and 6 assists on 8-of-11 shooting. Sophomore Steph Martin scored 14 points and grabbed 5 boards. Bryan Bayonne chipped in 12 points and 5 boards, while Tyshon Judge added 11 points and 5 boards to round out the double figure scorers.

The win puts the (RV) Falcons at 2-0 on the young season. The Falcons are now 29-1 at home since the 21-22 season. Up next, FC travels to Oklahoma City for the Abe Lemons Classic where they'll play three games in three games, starting Thursday, November 2 versus conference foe Northern New Mexico College.