The #7 Indians (had to overcome a slow start but went on to defeat the Polk State Eagles, 74-60, and advanced to the semifinals of the FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament.
Following the last game of the regular season, the Indians had a two week layoff and it seemed to show in the early going on Wednesday inside Raider Arena. The Eagles jumped out to a 13-3 lead after seven and a half minutes of play.
The next seven and a half minutes would be a different story as Chipola would begin to take control of the game. With eight minutes remaining in the first half, Nae'Qwan Tomlin gave the Indians the lead on a put back off a missed three. After the 13-3 run by the Eagles, the Indians went on a 20-5 run of their own and never trailed in the game again.
With just over three minutes remaining in the half, the Eagles tied the score, 27-27. However, the Indians would regain control and close out the half on an 8-2 run. Heading into the locker room, Indians led 35-29.
In the second half, Nae'Qwan Tomlin would take over the game. After a nine-point performance in the first half, Tomlin would make 6 of 11 shots in the second half, including 2 of 4 from beyond the arc, to push his game total to 27. He also hauled in 11 rebounds for the game to finish with his second double-double of the season.
The Indians took their largest lead of the game with 7:38 remaining on a drive to the basket by Dontae Walker just before the shot clock expired. Walker also finished the game in double digits for the Indians with 15.
With just under three and a half minutes left in the game, the Eagles managed to cut the Chipola lead to 63-59.
Kris Gardner would end any threat of a comeback on the ensuing possession with his second three of the night. With that three, the Indians closed out the game on an 11-1 run to preserve the win.
The second seeded Indians will face a familiar opponent on Friday afternoon when they take on the three seed, Northwest Florida State. The Raiders (26-4) advanced with a 63-59 win over the number six seed, Eastern Florida State. The Indians and the Raiders shared the Panhandle Conference Championship this season although Chipola was given the higher seed after defeating the Raiders two out of three times this season. Tip-off for the semifinal game on Friday is 1 PM.
