GAMEDAY PREVIEW: Indians open defense of Panhandle Conference Title at Pensacola State
Coach Donnie Tyndall and the #14 Indians look to start Conference 1-0 for fourth consecutive year.
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The 14th ranked Chipola men's basketball will open defense of their Panhandle Conference title on the road in Pensacola on Saturday, January 11. The Indians and Pirates will tip off the conference portion of their season at 4 PM following the women's game.
GAME INFORMATION
Time: 4 PM CST
Location: Hartsell Arena – Pensacola, Florida
Streaming: #14 Chipola (15-3) @ Pensacola State (12-6)
LAST TIME OUT
The Indians enter the game on a six-game win streak following a 68-58 win over South Georgia Tech last Saturday in Americus, Georgia.
At the half, the Indians appeared to be breezing into the conference season with an easy win over the Jets. Chipola took a 42-26 lead into the locker room after the first twenty minutes and were shooting 47.2% from the floor including six three-pointers.
South Georgia Tech would turn the tables in the second half starting with cutting the Indians' lead down to single digits within the first four minutes. After a hot start from outside the arc, Chipola was held to without a three-point bucket in the second half.
At the final media timeout of the game, the Jets closed to within five but would get no closer. Chipola walked away with the ten-point win led by Trent Lincoln with 18 points.
RANKINGS
The NJCAA Rankings and the FCSAA Coaches Poll will not be published again until Monday, January 13. In the latest NJCAA Rankings published on December 16, Chipola was 14, right behind Daytona State at 12 and Northwest Florida at 13. The same three teams are 1-2-3 in the FCSAA Coaches' Poll that was also last published on December 16.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
Pensacola State enters the game with a 12-6 record but three of the losses were due to forfeits following an eligibility error. The Pirates defeated Daytona State, Southern Union, and Coastal Alabama – South but had to give up those victories.
The Pirates have won 10 of their last 11 games including a 72-54 home win over Coastal Alabama – North last Tuesday. The lone loss in the stretch came last Saturday when Pensacola lost, 65-48, on the road at Columbia State Community College in Tennessee.
The Pirates are led by sophomore guard, Will Vasser, who averages 13.7 points per game. The Louisville, Kentucky native scored a season-high 22 points in a loss to Coastal Alabama – South on November 2.
GAME NOTES
- After not playing a true road game through their first 16 contests of the season, Chipola will be playing their third consecutive game on the opponent's home floor.
- Under Coach Donnie Tyndall, Chipola is 12-1 against Pensacola with the one loss coming last season when the Pirates defeated the Indians, 56-54, at Hartsell Arena.
- Chipola has won their last three conference openers. The last lost to start Panhandle play was in 2021, Coach Tyndall's first season, in Panama City to Gulf Coast, 68-65.
- The Commodores, Chipola's next opponent, do not play on Saturday. Northwest Florida and Tallahassee State face off in Niceville today in other conference action.