The Chipola men's basketball team entered the NJCAA Top 25 rankings this week and on Tuesday night they showed they belonged. The #20 Indians dismantled #6 Tallahassee, 82-60, and moved into first place in the Panhandle Conference.
The Indians raced out to an early lead and never looked back. In the first half the Indians shot 54.8 percent from the floor and overwhelmed the Eagles on the boards, 20-7. Chipola took a 45-29 lead into the lockerroom at the intermission.
In the Indians' first possession of the second half, Carlos Lemus hit a three and sent the message that the hot shooting had not cooled off during the break. The Indians would go on to lead by as many as 25 in the second half and out rebounded the Eagles 40-22 for the game. Chipola would go on to shoot fifty percent from the floor. The Indians shot 36.8 percent from three-point range and still have not lost a game this season when shooting more than 25 percent from beyond the arc.
Lemus led all scorers on the night, pouring in 20 points. His 9-of-10 from the charity stripe played a big role in not allowing Tallahassee any opportunity to get back in the game. Nae'Qwan Tomlin also had a strong night, shooting 7-of-12 on the night and going 3-of-3 from the free throw line for a total of 17 points. Jaeden Zackery was strong on both ends of the floor. Along with his 12 points, Zackery led the team in rebounds (8), assists (4), and steals (4). Naheem "Duke" McLeod was a force down low, scoring 7 points, hauling in seven rebounds, and blocking four shots. In all, Chipola had nine players put points on the board.
"I thought our guys really competed for 40 minutes tonight. I was happy with our effort on the glass and the way we shared the basketball," head coach Donnie Tyndall said after the game.
The win moved Chipola into first place in the Panhandle Conference, one-half game ahead of Tallahasee. The Indians moved to 10-3 overall and extended their home winning streak to eleven games. Chipola also became the first Panhandle Conference team to defeat the other four teams in the conference this season.
"I told my team this is just one win. It's obviously a quality win over an extremely talented team but every game in this league counts the same so we have to be mature in how we handle it. We need to continue to learn in the film room and get ready for a very talented Northwest Florida team on Saturday."
The Indians will travel to take on the Raiders (5-6, 2-4 PC) on Saturday at 4 PM.