Lady Indians match best season start in school history with 65-56 win over Pensacola
Chipola moved to 19-0 overall and 1-0 in conference
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Of the 14 players and three coaches for the Chipola Women's Basketball team, only Mekhila Brown and assistant coach Upe Atosu, had experienced a Panhandle Conference game. After an 18-0 start to the season, the Lady Indians would begin to find out if they could play in a league that has won 28 of the last 30 Florida State Championships and 7 of the last 10 National Champions.
The Lady Indians overcame a strong start by Pensacola State to keep their season unblemished with a 65-56 win over the Lady Pirates.
Chipola will face their toughest opponent of the season on Wednesday night when they host #7 Gulf Coast State College at 5:15 PM in the Milton H. Johnson Center. The Lady Commodores, the conference's winningest program historically, are 14-1 this season.
Overcoming self-doubt
Facing a 9-4 deficit in the first quarter, inside a building that Chipola was 1-2 inside over the last two seasons, the #11 Lady Indians were confronted with thoughts of whether they were as good as their record indicated.
The Lady Indians answered the questions in their own minds and scored the final nine points of the first quarter to take a 13-9 lead after the first ten minutes. Reigning FCSAA Player of the Week, Kanija Daniel, led the rally with seven points in the quarter.
The doubts would return in the second quarter as Pensacola held Chipola to just a pair of field goals and four free throws. At the end of the half, Chipola was shooting just 25% from the floor and failed to connect on a shot from outside the arc (0-4).
Fortunately for Chipola, the Lady Pirates shot just 32.3% from the floor in the second half and also missed every three-point shot as well (0-10).
Pensacola held a 27-21 advantage at the break and led by as many as nine in the first half. It was just the second time this season that the Lady Indians went to the locker room trailing at the half.
Restoring Confidence
Chipola would waste no time reestablishing themselves as the best team on the Ambersley and Pena Court in the third quarter. The Lady Indians scored the first 11 points of the second half, forcing Pensacola to call a timeout just three minutes into the third quarter.
Trailing 32-27, the Lady Pirates came out of the timeout and used a 10-5 run to even up the score for the fifth and final time in the game.
Kanija Daniel continued her dominance by putting up 12 points in the third quarter. Chipola closed the quarter similar how they started it, with an 11-3 run to lead 48-40 heading into the final ten minutes.
Finishing it off
After a dominant 27-point third quarter, the 23rd time Chipola has scored 25 or more in a quarter, the Lady Indians stretched their lead up to 14 with five minutes remaining.
Pensacola made a last gasp effort with a 12-3 run to close to within five but Chipola held strong at the free throw line and left with a 65-56 win and a 1-0 start in conference play for the first time since the 2021-2022 season.
Kanija Daniel added six in the quarter to finish the game with 25 points. After hitting a pair of three-pointers in the third quarter, Daniya McDonald added five points in the fourth to end the game with 18, her sixth double-digit outing in 12 games played.
Notes
- The Lady Indians' 19-0 start matches the best in school history. The 2014-2015 team also started 19-0 before going on to finish 34-1 and winning the NJCAA Championship.
- With a win on Wednesday, the Lady Indians would not only have the best start in school history but also the second-best win streak.
- 22: The 2013-2014 team won 22 games before losing in the NJCAA semifinals
- 20: After falling in the semifinals, the 2013-2014 team won the third-place game and the 2014-2015 won their first 19 games of the season.
- NJCAA Rankings come out on Monday for the first time since December 16 and the Lady Indians should make a jump from the 11th place position they have held since before the Christmas break. Chipola is one of only three teams that are undefeated - #1 Hutchinson Community College and #2 Northwest Florida State College.