WINTER HAVEN —  Polk State Basketball team muscled its way to a 77-75 victory over a surging Monroe College squad on Thursday night.
 
With the win, the Eagles improved to 4-0 inside the Health Center this season. Polk State(7-4) also snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory, while bringing a run of five consecutive victories for Monroe (7-3) to a halt.
 
"This was a great hard-fought win by our guys on our home floor," shared Polk State Head Coach Brandon Giles. "We are a different team when we hit our shots."
 
Leading the way in the box score for the Eagles was the duo of sophomore guard Dominick Nelson and freshman center Nathan Andrice. Nelson turned in his fifth straight 20-plus point game with a team-high 25 after going 5-for-7 from the field, while Andrice matched his season-best of 20 points. Nelson and Andrice accounted for 58.4% of Polk's offense.
 
Despite trailing by six at four different points in the first half, the Eagles kept within striking distance of the Mustangs throughout the first 20 minutes of play. Andrice shined in the first half for Polk, going 5-for-7 from the field before halftime, as the Eagles went to the locker room trailing the Mustangs 38-35.
 
After allowing Monroe to shoot 50% (5-for-10) from behind the arc in the first half, Polk State locked down the perimeter in the second half, holding the Mustangs to just 20% (2-for-10) from three-point range.
 
Polk State opened the half on an 11-2 run to build a 46-40 advantage with 14:58 to go in the game. A Jeremiah Russel layup with 11:45 to go in the half earned the Eagles their largest lead of the game, 53-44. Monroe responded with a 12-2 run of its own to knot things up 55-55 before a three-pointer by Nelson that got a fortuitous bounce put Polk back on top. Nelson scored 20 of his 25 in the second half.
 
Leading 73-66 with 1:50 to go in regulation, the Eagles held off a 9-4 Monroe run to close out the contest and earn the victory.
 
Freshman forward Cole White was one rebound away from a double-double, hauling in nine boards to accompany his 13 points.
 
The Eagles will conclude the 2023 portion of their schedule back at the Health Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Florida Central Tech.