By: Dustin Kent - JCFloridan.com
The No. 4 Chipola Lady Indians used a 21-4 run over the final seven minutes of the game Friday night to blow open a close game and take a 68-45 win over South Georgia Tech at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center to improve to 2-0 on the season.
It was the second night of the Girls Basketball Report Classic and after an easy 93-34 win over Eastern Florida State on Thursday night, the Lady Indians found the going much tougher early on against a feisty Lady Jets squad.
South Georgia Tech took advantage of some early foul trouble by the Lady Indians, who got into the double bonus with 10 team fouls less than nine full minutes into the game.
A pair of free throws by TaQuandra Mike made it 13-5 SGT with 11:04 on the first half clock, but the Lady Indians slowly clawed their way back into the game and tied it up 16-16 on a bucket by Evelyn Akhator.
It was Akhator who sparked Chipola at both ends in the first half, scoring 11 of the team's 24 points and keeping the Lady Indians to within two points at the halftime break.
The 6-foot-2 freshman Akhator continued to make things happen in the second half with four quick points to put her team up 32-29, with a basket by Khadijah Ellison and two free throws by Tiffany Lewis staking the Lady Pirates to a seven-point lead with 14:32 to play.
A turnover leading to a three-point play by Diamonisha Sophus gave Chipola its first double-digit lead at 45-34, but SGT fought back with a three-pointer by Mike and a steal and two from Shameekia Murray to cut the margin back to six with nine minutes left.
The score was 47-41 with 7:48 remaining when the Lady Indians took command starting with a baseline jumper by Rahni Bell, followed by a pair of free throws by Ellison and a big three-pointer from Lewis to make it 54-41.
Another triple by Bell put the Lady Indians up 16 with 4:05 remaining, and Lewis nailed another long-range bomb followed by a driving finish by Sophus to make it 66-44.
Akhator finished with 18 points to lead Chipola, followed by Lewis with 12 and Ellison 10, while Mike and Murray each scored 16 points for South Georgia Tech.
Chipola is scheduled to take on Broward on Saturday night to conclude the Classic.
