Martinez Leads Falcons Over Thomas University at the Buzzer

THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The thriller finishes continue for the Florida College Falcons, with Deonte' Martinez hitting a fadeaway 15-footer at the buzzer to give FC the 93-91 road win over the Thomas University Nighthawks on Saturday afternoon.

The contest was close the entire day, with FC's largest lead of the game reaching eight, and the Nighthawks' largest lead was six. The game featured 14 ties and 17 lead changes! The road team led the majority of the first half, holding on to a 3-point lead at intermission.

Thomas would respond, with a flurry of big shots in the second half. From the 15:50 mark to the 9:04 mark, the only way the Nighthawks scored was made 3-pointers, with five made over that span.

Trailing by 1 with 1:05 left, the Falcons turned to their leading scorer, Tyshon Judge, who finished a tough layup to take the lead which they would never relinquish. FC would get the necessary stop on the other end. TU was forced to foul Deonte' Martinez, who calmly sank both free throws with 14 seconds left.

TU's Jarvis Brown would come down and hit a spectacular step-back three-pointer to tie the game at 91 with 5.1 seconds remaining. FC would call timeout to draw up their final possession.

Deonte' Martinez caught it on the move, with pressure the whole way down the court, and with ice in his veins, drilled a fadeaway midrange shot in the right short corner as the buzzer went off to give the Falcons their seventh straight victory! This is the third buzzer-beater victory for Florida College this season.

"I'm extremely proud of the fight our team continues to show," said Head Coach Chase Teichmann. "This was a major step back for us defensively, but this is a difficult place to play, against a tough opponent. We were fortunate to come out with the win. We're going to enjoy it and also learn from it. 

The win moves the Falcons to 11-3 on the season. The Falcons are the first team to win at Thomas this season, as the Nighthawks were previously 3-0 at home.

Up next, the Falcons will take on Saint Francis (Ind.) University on December 15 at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla.

The next NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll is released on Wednesday, make sure to be on the lookout for where the Falcons land!