A conference championship wasn't enough for Santa Fe Community College. On Saturday afternoon, they took the court with one goal in mind: perfection.
The Saints left the hardwood with a 69-58 win over Daytona Beach Community College, a perfect 10-0 record in Mid-Florida Conference play and a 17-game winning streak to add to the conference title.
"It feels great because of all the hard work we put into it," said freshman point guard Zach Trapp. "Coach was telling us before the game that no one had done that in ten years, so that was our goal."
Both teams started slow offensively, but a layup from big man Francis Aihe put the Saints (21-6) ahead 24-22 with six minutes left in the first half and gave them a lead they would not relinquish.
Freshman guard Roderick Emanuel provided the spark for SFCC with 12 first-half points, including a 65-footer at the buzzer that sent the home crowd into a frenzy and put his team up by 12 points at halftime.
"Me and Blake (Hyden) always practice that shot fooling around in practice," Emanuel said. "I've been waiting to have a chance to do that in a game."
SFCC coach Chris Mowry pointed to that shot as an important play in the game because DBCC chipped away at the double-digit deficit in the second half to climb all the way back to within three points.
"Going down the stretch, if you take those three points away, all of a sudden it's a tie game with five minutes to go, and who knows what happens?" he said.
While Mowry wasn't happy with the sloppy turnovers and a defensive showing he called "sluggish," he was satisfied overall by what he saw from his team.
"It was a very typical win for us," he said. "Good team effort, that's how we've managed to do it. Guys have been very unselfish."
Emanuel finished the game with 18 points, with Trapp and Hyden contributing 12 and 10 points, respectively.
"It's very difficult to go undefeated in conference play, no matter what level you're playing at," Mowry said. "We're very happy for our guys. It's a great accomplishment for them."
It was also a significant accomplishment for Mowry, as the victory marked his 101st win as head coach of the Saints. Under Mowry, SFCC has won the conference title three of the last four years.
The Saints, the No. 4 team in the state according to the Florida Community Activities Association Coaches Poll, will now have two and a half weeks off before heading to Chipola College in Marianna for the FCCAA/Region VIII State Tournament on March 5. SFCC will play the Panhandle Conference runner-up in the first round.
Freshman forward Marvin Davis is fighting a viral infection, and Mowry said "everyone else is just worn down," so the team will take a few days off to rest and get healthy before practicing off and on in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
Emanuel also noted that the time off will be valuable but said their success has hinged on one thing all season long.
"We're a team," he said. "Most teams only have one star player, but for us, anyone can step up on any given night. That's what we're about."
