WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Santa Fe College Men's Basketball hit the road for a tough task at Polk State College, and the Eagles edged out the Saints to remain unbeaten in Central Conference play and extend their winning streak to six games.  

First Half – POLK 29, SF 24

SF fell into a deficit as large as 13 points, as the Saints' offense started slowly out of the gate.

Despite shooting 2-of-15 from beyond the arc and just 10-of-34 from the field (29.4 percent) in the half, the Saints' defense helped keep them close and draw to within five points.

Bradley Douglas and Eddie Foster III had seven points and six points in the opening half, respectively.

Second Half – POLK 61, SF 56

The defensive, back-and-forth battle continued in the second frame, and the Saints were able to establish a 38-37 lead nearing the half's midway point.

A 13-6 run for the Eagles over the course of about five minutes of play put the Saints back into a rut, 50-44 with a little over six minutes remaining.

SF was able to get to within a single possession, 59-56, with 1:26 on the clock. Nicolas McClain had a chance to tie it late with a three-pointer, but Polk State grabbed the rebound and found a basket in the final seconds to hold SF off down the stretch to preserve the victory on their home planks.

Key Statistics

Santa Fe had more attempts at the basket (66) than Polk State (63), and the Saints won the rebounding battle, 45-34.

The Saints, however, struggled from the field to post their lowest shooting percentage of the season (22-of-66, 33.3 percent).

Douglas (12 points), Foster III (11 points), and Nikolaos Noumeros (11 points) notched double-digits for the Saints' offense.

Up Next

The receiving votes Saints (13-4, 1-2 Central) return to their home floor for a Central Conference game with Daytona State College (8-10, 0-3 Central) on Saturday, Jan. 22. Tipoff is currently set for 4:00 p.m. inside the SF Gymnasium.