Indians Streak To 21 Wins: Set School Record
January 15, 2008
By Chipola Staff
After struggling to score for the first twenty-two minutes of the game, the top ranked Chipola Indians used a 51-33 finish during the game’s final eighteen minutes to propel themselves to a 79-68 win on Tuesday evening in Marianna, FL.
With the victory, the now 21-0 Indians broke the school record for the best start to a season.
Last season, Chipola won its first 20 games before losing to Tallahassee in double overtime.
“I told the team that every season has its own story line,” said Chipola coach Greg Heiar. “In this league, you are going to get tested every time you step onto the court. Earlier in the year we could show up and maybe not play as well and come away with a 30 point win. That certainly is no longer the case.”
The Indians sluggish offense produced just 28 points in the first half and trailed by one heading into the locker room.
“We were settling for jump shots,” said Heiar. “I stressed the importance of attacking. We had to quit relying on the perimeter and start getting paint touches with our penetration and post feeds.”
The aggressive behavior paid dividends down the stretch. Chipola shot a season high 39 free-throw attempts, connecting on 30.
Sophomore point guard Malik Alvin took charge during the second half surge, leading a balanced Indian attack with a team high 15 points.
Sophomore Mario Little scored 14 points and freshman guard Casey Mitchell added 13 points off of the bench as Chipola improved to 3-0 in Panhandle play.
“I thought our depth was a key factor,” added Heiar. “Torye Pelham (7 points and 6 rebounds) gave us a lot of energy. Vernon Teel (7 points and 4 rebounds) came in during our run and played very well. Jon Kreft was active. It doesn’t matter who is on the court, as long as they play with energy and intensity.”
Other top performers for Chipola included sophomore Mario Edwards and freshman Gary Flowers. Edwards finished the evening with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Flowers added 8 points and 4 rebounds in the win.
Chipola travels to Pensacola on Saturday, January 19 to take on the Pirates in conference action. Pensacola, who lost to Tallahassee on Tuesday, is now 12-8 on the season and 0-3 in the Panhandle Conference.
The game can be heard live via webcast at 7:30 pm CST.