Indians start 2023-2024 season 4-0

MARIANNA, Fla. – Under Head Coach Donnie Tyndall, the Chipola men's basketball team has dominated its competition on their home floor. The Indians continued their lack of hospitality by opening the 2023-2024 season with four wins inside the Milton H. Johnson Health Center. Chipola is now 46-2 at The Milt under Tyndall.

After starting the season at #11 in the Preseason NJCAA Men's Basketball Rankings the men jumped to #8. The Indians fell two slots in the NJCAA Region 8 Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll to #5.

Chipola will host the Milton H. Johnson Classic on Friday and Saturday, November 17-18. Panhandle Conference rival, Gulf Coast State College, and the Indians will take on Georgia Highlands and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in the two-day classic at The Milt. Chipola will play Mississippi Gulf Coast on Friday at 7 PM and Georgia Highlands on Saturday at 3 PM.

Game Recaps

November 2, 2023 - Chipola 101   Reid State 64

The Indians took an early lead to overwhelm the Lions who were playing in only their second game in school history. Reid State fell the previous night to Coastal Alabama – South, 87-79.

• Four players scored in double digits to give the Indians the 101-64 victory: Zocko Littleton Jr (24); Dontae Walker (17); Sami Pissis (12); & JJ Walton (10).
• This was the eighth consecutive season that Chipola has won its home opener. The last home opener loss was an 84-78 defeat to IMG Academy in the 2015-2016 season.
• Sophomore Dontae Walker made his return to the floor for the Indians. Walker sat out in 2022-2023 due to an injury he suffered the previous season at the NJCAA Tournament.
• Ten players made their debut for the Indians on Thursday night including Grace Aluma who was redshirted a season ago. Aluma started his career by chipping in five points and hauling in five rebounds.

November 4, 2023 – Chipola 95   Copiah Lincoln Community College 73

The Indians were dominant on the boards in their opening game of the Chipola Classic on Saturday night at The Milt. Chipola outrebounded the Wolves from Mississippi 46-25 and forced 14 turnovers en route to a 95-73 win.

• For the second consecutive night, Zocko Littleton Jr came off the bench to lead Chipola in scoring. Littleton shot 6-of-13 from the floor including 5-of-10 from three-point range to back up his 24-point night from two nights before with 17.
• Four other players joined Littleton in double figures: Sami Pissis (15); Greedy Williams (15); JJ Walton (13); & Dontae Walker (10).
• The Indians shot 48.7% from the floor while holding the Wolves to just 19-of-53 from the floor (35.8%).

November 5, 2023 – Chipola 78   Southwest Mississippi Community College 70

Southwest Mississippi came into The Milt unafraid on Sunday afternoon and held an eight point lead midway through the first half against the #11 Indians.

A Sami Pissis three pointer with just over 8 minutes remaining in the first half, gave the Indians the lead that they would not relinquish. Chipola closed out the half on 27-6 run to lead at the break, 40-27.

In the second half, the Bears managed to cut the lead to three with 13 minutes remaining on the clock but once again the Indians responded and pushed their lead back out to as many as 11.

• Sami Pissis led all scorers with 19 in the win. Greedy Williams added 19 and Dontae Walker had 15.
• Chipola was cold from three-point range shooting just 2-of-19 from deep (10.3%) while the Bears shot 10-of-34 (29.4%) from long range.

November 10, 2023 – Chipola 75   Wallace Community College – Selma 55

Greedy Williams had a career-high 18 points and Jerald Colonel just missed a double-double (12 points, 9 rebounds) to send the Indians to a 4-0 start in the 2023-2024 season and push the home floor record under Coach Tyndall to 46-2.

The visiting Patriots held tough in the first half, trialing by just six at the break and cut the lead to three on their opening possession of the second half. back-to-back three-pointers extinguished any hopes of an upset as the Indians went on to defeat Wallace-Selma, 75-55.

• Along with Williams and Colonel, three other players finished with double digits: Zocko Littleton Jr (11); Dontae Walker (10); & Sami Pissis (10).
• Walker and Pissis each scored double digits in all four games.