The Florida State College at Jacksonville men's basketball team (22-7; 9-2) hosted the Palm Beach State College Panthers (18-11; 7-4) on "Sophomore Night". FSCJ's four sophomores Mark Brown, Calvin Brown, Roderick Gardner, and Tarence Guinyard were honored with a pregame ceremony at half-court surrounded by friends and family. Palm Beach came into the match up trailing FSCJ by one game in the Region VIII standings with the regular season conference championship still undecided.
FSCJ left nothing up to chance and were crowned FCSAA / Dll Region 8 Sun-Lakes Conference Champions after a dominating performance earned them a 73-49 victory over the Panthers. The game was neck-and-neck until the 12-minute mark in the first half when FSCJ went on a monumental 35-5 run to close the half and lead 46-16 at halftime.
"Our guys knew what was at stake and they wanted to make a statement," said Head Coach John Putyrski. "We had a great few days of practice and preparation. They've fought hard and been a joy to coach all year and now they've earned a banner in our gym's rafters that will always be there for them."
FSCJ withstood Palm Beach's runs and extinguished every attempt at a comeback by the Panthers to go onto win their first regular season conference championship since 2004. On a night honoring the sophomores, each of the four entered the scoring column and contributed in big ways. Guinyard led the early onslaught with 20 first half points. It was the team's intensity on defense though that really set the tone from the tip-off. The 16 points scored by Palm Beach in the first half was an FSCJ opponent's lowest total all season.
Strong defense remained in the second half for FSCJ, but freshman guard Alex McCray took over the scoring effort from Guinyard and the sophomores—a foreshadowing of what may come next season. McCray went onto finish with 16 points in the game. Redshirt freshmen Gary Anderson and Jordan Smith both scored in double figures with 11 points each off the bench to solidify a total team effort.
Words From Our Sophomores
Mark Brown—St. Augustine, FL
"Sophomore night was a great experience and having most of my school and family come to the game means the world! This season has showed me that it takes hard work and dedication to achieve things you want. Our team has put in many early mornings, went through plenty of adversity, but we never gave up. That's what I love about this team."
Calvin Brown—Jacksonville, FL
"Coach being a quotes guy and fan of The Outsiders constantly tells us, 'Nothing Gold Can Stay.'" We try to stay in the moment and get the most out of each day and our time together on this team because we know we'll all miss it when the season does end. I'm very grateful to come back and be a part of this program and bring home a conference championship win on Sophomore Night."
Tarence Guinyard - Tampa, FL
"This year showed me what determination and focusing on the little details can do for you and an entire team. Waking up early to practice, being prepared well before the games, showing up early to everything we do, it instilled winning in us. Coach P held us to the highest standard, and I appreciate him for that. Simple things can turn your whole season around for the better or for the worse, and this year it happened to be for the better because we focused on the little things that determine winning and losing. Sophomore night will always be a night to remember: a blow-out win in front of family and friends. There isn't anything more I can ask for. Cutting down the nets was an amazing moment, and it'll forever live with me."
Roderick Gardner - Jacksonville, FL
"Last night's win was not only for us sophomores or our team, but for the school. We all came together this season, and we have the result of last night and being conference champions to show for it. We knew we had to change the history of this program. I don't ever think I can find another team like this one—not even at the next level—where we all play together and play for each other. This is a team I will always remember and reflect on. I love all these guys!"
FSCJ concludes their regular season with a road contest at Florida Gateway College this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (EST). The team will then travel to Lake Worth, FL where Palm Beach State College will host the FCSAA / Dll Region 8 tournament on March 1st and 2nd. The winner of the regional tournament will then play for the district championship versus the Region 12 champions from Alabama with an automatic bid for the national tournament at stake.
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