FORT PIERCE — Polk State Basketball's slim postseason hopes fell by the wayside on Wednesday. A late first-half run by Indian River State College turned the contest into a rout as the Eagles fell, 108-83.
For the first 10 minutes, the contest went back and forth. The Eagles (12-17, 3-12 Citrus Conference) led on multiple occasions early on but couldn't keep pace with the Pioneers.
The last Polk State lead came midway through the opening stanza as
TrayVon Osborne put back a
Dominick Nelson miss to give the Eagles a 19-18 advantage. Indian River responded by closing the first half on a 43-16 run and never looked back.
Nelson was a bright spot for the Eagles, scoring a career-high 33 points. His previous high was 32 points in the first meeting with Indian River on Jan. 27.
Jeremiah Russell added a season-high 10 points in the loss.
The Indian River lead grew to more than 30 points in the second half. Polk State battled but made no serious threat.
While Polk State saw its postseason aspirations come to an end on Wednesday night, Indian River punched its ticket to the FCSAA Tournament quarterfinals in Niceville. The Eagles' loss also assures Miami Dade College at least a spot in the FCSAA Tournament play-in.
Polk State will try to play spoiler on Monday as it celebrates Sophomore Night against No. 14 Eastern Florida State College. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Titans are one of three teams alive for the Citrus Conference regular season title.
