PANAMA CITY, Fla. (Interstat) — The Gulf Coast State Commodores used a balanced offensive attack and capitalized on a slew of Miami Dade turnovers to secure a 71-64 victory in a men’s junior college basketball game Saturday.

The win improved Gulf Coast State’s record to 10-1 overall, while Miami Dade fell to an even 2-2.

The game’s decisive stretch came late in the second quarter. After Miami Dade’s Anthony Breland converted a three-point play to cut the Commodores’ lead to 66-64 with 27 seconds remaining, the Sharks’ hopes were quickly dashed by a series of Gulf Coast State free throws and a critical turnover.

On the ensuing possession, Breland committed his fifth personal foul, sending Gulf Coast State’s Devontes Cobbs to the line. Cobbs sank both free throws to extend the lead to 68-64 with 20 seconds left. After a Gulf Coast State foul, Breland made one of two free throws for the Sharks, but the Commodores’ Iyran Francis answered with one of his own to make it 69-65.

The final blow came when Breland turned the ball over with 3 seconds left. Gulf Coast State’s Alex Pissis was fouled and made both free throws to seal the victory at 71-65 before Miami Dade’s Randy Smith scored a meaningless layup at the buzzer for the final margin.

The game was characterized by sloppy play early, with both teams combining for multiple missed shots and turnovers in the opening minutes. Gulf Coast State eventually found its rhythm, building a 33-27 lead by the end of the first quarter behind 11 points from Augustas Merkys. The Commodores maintained that advantage throughout the second quarter, despite a game-high 24-point effort from Miami Dade’s Breland.

Breland led all scorers, adding four rebounds and three assists in 39 minutes for the Sharks. He was supported by Randy Smith with 17 points and David Verstraeten with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Gulf Coast State’s victory was a collective effort. Trent Lincoln led the Commodores with 13 points and six assists. Merkys and Pissis each contributed 14 points off the bench, with Pissis scoring 11 of his in the second quarter. Iyran Francis anchored the interior with nine points and nine rebounds in just 25 minutes, and Cobbs added 10 points.

The Commodores’ depth proved significant, with their bench outscoring Miami Dade’s reserves. Gulf Coast State also took better care of the ball in crucial moments down the stretch, overcoming a strong individual performance from Breland.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Gulf Coast State was projected with a 78.70 percent probability to win.

Miami Dade will next host Pensacola State on Dec. 12. Gulf Coast State is scheduled to host Jones on Dec. 13.