GAME PREVIEW: #13 Indians look to keep pace atop the Panhandle
Tied with Gulf Coast for first in the conference standings, the Indians travel to Tallahassee as the final week of regular season begins.
MARIANNA, Fla. – The #13 Chipola Indians (21-6; 6-3) enter a six-day stretch when they will play three games. The goal is simple: win all three and be the Panhandle Conference Champions for the fifth consecutive season.
With three games left to play for three of the top four teams, there is still much to be decided in the Panhandle Conference. Chipola hopes to avoid allowing fifth place Tallahassee State (15-13; 1-9), who cannot advance to the State Tournament, to play the role of spoiler when the Indians and Eagles meet in Tallahassee on Wednesday night and next Monday night. Monday night's game is a make-up game from January 22 when games were postponed due to snow and ice across the Panhandle region.
Also playing on Wednesday and next Monday are #15 Gulf Coast (20-7; 6-3) and Northwest Florida (18-8; 4-5). With a win in Raider Arena on Wednesday night, the Commodores can eliminate the Raiders from participating in the State Tournament. Gulf Coast will also play #20 Pensacola State (19-10; 7-4) on Saturday while the Raiders travel to face Chipola.
With several scenarios still in play, it is difficult to describe each team's path to the State Tournament other than: win your remaining games for the best shot.
- Chipola and Gulf Coast are the only teams that control their own destiny. If both go 3-0 in their remaining games, they will share the conference title and advance to the State Tournament.
- Pensacola will need to win against the Commodores and hope for Chipola to lose at least once in order to claim a share of the title. There is also a scenario that the Pirates can share the title with a loss but Gulf Coast would need to lose both games to Northwest Florida and Chipola would need to go 1-2, at best, the rest of the way.
- Northwest Florida can claim a share of the title if they win all three games remaining on their schedule AND Gulf Coast defeats Pensacola AND Chipola loses at least one of two against Tallahassee. In this scenario, all four teams would have a conference record of 7-5.
Two teams from the Panhandle Conference advance automatically to the State Tournament. The third-place team will meet the sixth-place from the Citrus Conference on Thursday, March 6, at a neutral site to determine the final spot in the field. The Panhandle's fourth-place team misses out on the State Tournament.
GAME INFORMATION
Time: 6:30 PM CST
Location: Bill Hebrock Eagledome
Streaming: #13 Chipola vs. Tallahassee State
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
Ever since defeating Gulf Coast in overtime on January 18 in Panama City, the Eagles have dropped seven straight games. Of the Eagles' nine losses in conference play, seven have been single-digit losses. The Indians defeated TSC in the two teams' only meeting this season, 78-61, in Marianna. Tallahassee's other double-digit loss was last Saturday when the Commodores avenged their earlier loss on their home floor and defeated the Eagles, 79-66.
Tallahassee State (15-13; 1-9) is averaging 76.5 points per game and shooting 43.9% from the floor and 35.2% percent from three-point range. Julius Clark, a sophomore wing, leads the Eagles in scoring with an average of 15.9 points per game. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama native scored 20 points in the loss earlier this season to Chipola.
GAME NOTES
- Chipola has won the last five meetings with the Eagles. Tallahassee's last win over Chipola was on February 25, 2023 on Sophomore Day in the Bill Hebrock Eagledome.
- In his fifth season, Chipola Head Coach Donnie Tyndall is 10-5 against the Eagles. Coach Tyndall is 51-15 against Panhandle Conference teams (postseason included).
