By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
Much of the game was separated by a one-possession lead.
Unfortunately for the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks, they spent most of the time on the short end of that possession in Tuesday's 76-67 home opener loss to the Pensacola Christian College Eagles.
JDCC got 28 points from former T.R. Miller Tiger DaWaun Johnson and 15 from Tim Rodgers, but nobody else hit double digits. Meanwhile Pensacola Christian (1-3) put five players in double digits, which included a team-high 20 from Ryan Vanderboegh. Vanderboegh did most of his damage in the second half where he buried five three-pointers and scored 17 of his 20 points.
JDCC never had more than a four-point lead and its last cushion came with 13 minutes left in the first half when Norman Griffin hit a baseline jumper from the corner that put the Warhawks up 12-10.
Johnson did his best to keep JDCC close, as he hit a pair of first half three-pointers and scored 16 of his 28 points during the first 20 minutes. His last trey with just over 30 seconds left in the half pulled the Warhawks into a 31-31 tie, but the Eagles quickly countered with a field goal by Joshua Hershberger and took a 33-31 lead into halftime.
Pensacola Christian never lost that advantage and the perimeter shooting of Vanderboeh and Goetsch made sure it would hold up.
Goetsch hit a pair of treys in the first seven minutes of the second half and Vanderboegh hit two more over the next two minutes that helped stretch the Eagles' advantage to a game-high margin of 50-40 with 9:33 left.
JDCC battled back, as a field goal by Lyndon Butler off an offensive rebound followed by bucket and three-pointer by Johnson narrowed Pensacola Christian's lead to just 50-47.
The Warhawks edged even closer with five minutes left when Johnson's three-point play cut the gap to 56-54. JDCC also got within two points when two charity tosses by Rodgers with 2:48 left made it 62-60.
The key and possibly decisive sequence came when Vanderboegh hit two free throws, Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one and Vanderboegh drained a three-pointer that took the Eagles' lead to 67-60 with only two minutes left.
JDCC dropped its third straight to start the season Saturday when it lost an 88-83 decision at home to the Gadsden State Cardinals.
It was Gadsden State's second win in a week over the Warhawks, who posted a 78-60 win on the Cardinals' home court the previous Saturday.
Johnson followed up his 28-point performance in the home opener against Pensacola Christian with 35 Saturday.
The Warhawks had as much as a nine-point lead in the first half and still led 48-43 at halftime.
Gadsden State snapped a 58-58 deadlock with just under 10 minutes left and maintained a small lead the rest of the way.
The Cardinals sealed their win at the free throw line, as they hit 13 of 16 attempts in the final 10 minutes and 27 of 37 charity tosses in the game.
The Warhawks travel to Montgomery Monday to face the Huntingdon College junior varsity. Game time is 7 p.m.
Tuesday's game
Pensacola Christian 33 43 – 76
JDCC 31 36 – 67
PENSACOLA CHRISTIAN (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Vanderbergh 0-6-2-20; Baird 7-0-3-17; Goetsch 1-3-2-13; Bowman 5-0-1-11; Hershberger 1-1-5-10; Libka 2-0-0-4; Christian 0-0-1-1 (Totals: 18-10-14-76)
JDCC (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Johnson 8-3-3-28; Rodgers 4-1-4-15; Nelson 3-1-0-9; Smith 0-1-2-5; Kelly 0-1-0-3; Griffin 1-0-0-2; Butler 1-0-0-2; Tunberg 1-0-0-2; Owens 0-0-1-1 (Totals: 18-7-10-67)
Saturday's game
Gadsden State 43 45 – 88
JDCC 48 35 – 83
GADSDEN STATE (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Rich 6-1-4-19; DePree 5-1-6-19; Reed 5-0-7-17; Smith 2-2-3-13; Thompson 4-0-3-11; Rowe 0-1-2-5; Lykes 0-0-2-2; Johnson 1-0-0-2 (Totals: 23-6-27-88)
JDCC (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Johnson 11-3-4-35; Griffin 5-0-2-12; Nelson 4-0-3-11; Tunberg 2-0-2-6; McKinney 1-1-0-5; Owens 2-0-0-4; Martin 0-1-0-3; Smith 0-1-0-3; Rodgers 1-0-0-2; Hamilton 0-0-2-2 (Totals: 26-6-13-83)