MARIANNA, Fla. – After managing just 21 points in the first half of Wednesday night's Panhandle contest with Pensacola, the #7 Chipola Indians rallied from an 8-point deficit at the break, to defeat the Pirates, 66-57. The win improved the Indians' record to 18-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The win was also the 28th consecutive win at the Milton H. Johnson Center as well as the 100th win at Chipola for head coach Donnie Tyndall.
Quick start to first half fizzles
The Indians looked well on their way to winning their 11th straight win over the Pirates after the first five minutes of the game.
Zocko Littleton Jr. got the scoring going with a three-pointer and Sami Pissis followed with a three-point play the old-fashioned way to give Chipola an early lead. Markel Freeman added a bucket before the Pirates could get on the board and at the 15:13 mark, Chipola had jumped out to an 8-0 lead.
The Pirates began to cut into the lead and with just over seven minutes left in the first half, Jalen Keago, Pensacola's high-scorer on the night with 18, gathered a rebound and put it back up for a 16-15 lead.
Pensacola would go on to stretch out that lead for a 29-21 lead following the first half. The Pirates were shooting 47.7% at the half including a 6-of-11 mark from behind the arc. Meanwhile managed just 1-of-8 from deep and shot 31.8% from the floor.
Rare four-point play sparks the comeback
Following the break, Pensacola increased their lead over the Indians and with 15:36 remaining in the game held their largest lead of the night, 35-24.
The 11-point deficit would be erased over the next four minutes as the Indians began to take control the lead. Chipola connected on three of four free throws on their next two possessions then Joshua "Greedy" Williams rebounded a long three point attempt from Sami Pissis, drove down the lane and laid it in to cut the lead to six.
Following a missed three by Pensacola, Antonio Baker Jr ignited the Chipola crowd with a three from the corner and was knocked into the Chipola bench. Baker completed the "and one" and Chipola had pulled to within two.
After the teams exchanged possessions, Sami Pissis stole the ball away from the Pirates' Enmanuel Ferreras, drove down the court, and dished it off to Williams who layed it in to even the score at 35.
After a Pensacola timeout, Chipola fell behind by four but after Pissis had cut the deficit in half, Zocko Littleton Jr hit a three to give the Indians the lead for good.
Chipola would lead by as many as 14 following Baker's three with two minutes remaining and then held on for the eleven-point victory and 11th straight victory over the Pirates.
Tale of two halves
After one of the lowest first half point totals in recent memory, the Indians more than doubled their first half output in the second half and shot 55.2% percent from the floor, including 7-of-12 from three-point range.
Littleton scored 11 of his game-high 18 points in the second half and Baker also added 11 in the final twenty minutes to tally 17 for the game.
Despite losing the lead in the second half, Pensacola upped their field-goal percentage in the second-half to end the game at 42% but connected on just 3-of-11 from deep in the final twenty minutes.
Up next for the Indians
Chipola (18-1; 2-0) will travel to Gulf Coast (15-4; 1-0) on Saturday, January 20, looking for sole possession of first place in the Panhandle Conference. The Commodores were idle on Wednesday night after defeating Pensacola on the road last Saturday, 83-67. The tip from Billy Harrison Fieldhouse is set for 4 PM.
GAME NOTES
- Chipola is now 11-0 against Pensacola under Coach Donnie Tyndall. The two teams will meet two more times in the regular season with the next meeting in Pensacola on February 3.
- With the victory, Coach Donnie Tyndall collected his 100th win at Chipola. He is third in wins among Chipola coaches behind Milton Johnson (628) and Greg Heiar (164).
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