The Harcum College Bears had scored triple digits in each of their first two games of the 2022 NJCAA Tournament but Coach Donnie Tyndall's defense had only allowed an average of 61.5 points per game all year; something had to give. The stingy Chipola Indians weren't in a giving mood. Chipola held the Bears to 24.2 % from the floor en route to a suffocating 70-49 victory to advance to NJCAA Tournament Semi-Finals.
Faizon Fields and Achor Achor repeated their double-double performance from one night ago to lead the Chipola offense. Fields led all scorers with 17 points and reeled in 12 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Achor Achor led the way on the boards for the Indians with 14 and contributed 13 points in 20 minutes of playing time.
Every available Chipola player saw time as Coach Tyndall was able to empty his bench in the waning minutes of the game.
The Bears jumped out to a lead in the first few minutes of the game using a pair of three-point baskets to get their offense started.
With six and half minutes expired off the clock, J.T. Warren hit a jump shot for the first two of his eight points in the game, to put the Indians in the lead, 11-10. From that point on, Chipola never trailed in the game.
From there, Chipola held Harcum scoreless for just over seven minutes but couldn't take full advantage of the shutdown on the offensive end. The Indians did manage to score eight unanswered points and built their lead to 17-10.
Harcum used a 7-2 run of its own to pull within two points of the Indians with a little more than three minutes before halftime.
Chipola's patented runs at the end of the first half and start of the second half once again proved true as the Indians scored the final six points of the first half and outscored the Bears 13-3 to start the second half.
At halftime, the Indians led by eight, holding a Harcum team that came into the game averaging 93.1 points per game to just 17 first half points.
WIth a little more than five minutes played in the second half, Chipola built its lead out to 38-20 before the Bears used a 6-0 run to cut into the lead.
At the 9:41 mark, the Bears cut the lead to eight, 46-38, but couldn't get any closer.
The Indians were able to empty their bench and close out the game, scoring 24 of the final 35 points, to advance to back to back NJCAA Tournament Final Fours.
Joining Fields and Achor in double digits was Nae'qwan Tomlin with 11 points, his sixth consecutive game in double figures.
Chipola (30-5) will face the #1 seed Salt Lake Community College (34-1) in the first of two seminfinal games at 5 PM CDT on Friday. The second semifinal game will follow and will feature the 11 seed Triton College (30-5) and 10 seed Northwest Florida (29-5).
Game Notes:
- With the win, the Indians remain undefeated (9-0) on a neutral floor. Their next opponent, Salt Lake, is also 9-0 on neutral courts this season with their only loss coming to Southern Idaho on the road.
- The Indians shot just 1-of-12 from beyond the arc on Thursday night.
- Chipola once again dominated its opponent in the paint, outscoring the Bears 40-14.
- The Indians dominated the Bears on the board all night. Chipola hauled in 60 rebounds while the Bears could only manage to bring in 29.
- Chipola will be looking to advance to the NJCAA Tournament Championship Game for the first time since 2007.