Box Score WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Polk State Basketball closed out the 2023 portion of the season Tuesday night with an emphatic 114-59 victory over Florida Central Tech. With the win, the Eagles improved to 5-0 inside the Health Center this year.

Polk State (8-4) forced a bounty of miscues from Florida Central, causing 29 total turnovers, which the Eagles scored 33 points off of. The Eagles also dominated the rebound battle 64-34 and scored 44 points on second-chance buckets.

"As we head into the most important part of the year, it's good to have a win like this where the majority of the guys get to see and feel the ball going into the hole," shared Polk State Head Coach Brandon Giles. "That matters over the course of developing a young team."

The Eagles shot 51.1% (23-for-45) from the field in the first half, making more baskets in the first half than the Bulls did in the entire contest (21). Polk quickly got out to a considerable lead and did not relent, taking a 57-29 lead into halftime -- the most points the Eagles have scored in the first half this season. Sophomore guard TrayVon Osborne scored all 10 of his points in the first half.

Four others ended up in double figures for Polk, including freshman guard Malachi Stevens, who scored 16 of his team-leading 18 points in the second half. Stevens finished 3-for-5 from three-point range. 

With just 20 minutes registered in the contest, sophomore guard Dominick Nelson made the most of his time on the court, scoring 15 points and hauling in nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Derrick Jones Jr. totaled 13 points, going 4-for-8 from the field while also dishing out four assists. 

Freshman guard Karl Knighten Jr. registered double digits for the second time this season, scoring 12 to accompany a team-high six steals. 

The Eagles resume their season back at the Health Center on Wednesday, Jan. 3 against Palm Beach State College. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.