Box Score WINTER HAVEN – Polk State Basketball took a while to get the engine started on Wednesday night, but once it did, it ran like a well-oiled machine. The Eagles finished strong to close non-conference play with a 123-77 rout of Rising Stars Academy.

With less than eight minutes remaining in the first half, Polk State (11-10) was actually on the short end of a 20-18 score. The Eagles used a 13-4 run to take the lead but Rising Stars responded with seven straight points to tie the game at 31.

From there, Polk State's size, talent, and depth took over. The Eagles used a 15-2 run to go ahead for good. Leading 49-39 at halftime, Polk State used a pair of 3-pointers from Ty Owens and another from Malachi Stevens to open the second half on a 13-0 run to push a 10-point lead to 23. From there, it only continued to grow.

For the contest, 12 different players scored for Polk State, which hit the 100-point mark for the fourth time this season. The Eagles shot 59% during a 74-point second half and 54% for the game.

Cole White scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the first half during a 9-for-9 shooting night. Carson Beisner, a sophomore captain, had a career-night with 16 points on 6-for-7 from the field and 13 rebounds – both career-highs.

Stevens added 14 points in the victory while Owens and Jordan Gimenez each added 12 points. Jose Morales paced Rising Stars Academy with 17 points. Jean Paul Rivera added 16 points in the loss.

"I'm hoping to take some of the momentum from tonight into a tough matchup on Saturday at Eastern Florida (State College)," Head Coach Brandon Giles said. "It was nice to see Jordan Gimenez, Carson Beisner, and Jaden Excell play well and get some nice buckets tonight."

With the victory, Polk State has equaled its win total from last season. Saturday's contest at No. 18 Eastern Florida State College will begin a stretch of nine straight Citrus Conference games to close the regular season. Tip time is scheduled for 2 p.m.