Lady Indians take down #1 Northwest Florida on the road

Sophomore guard, Jordan McLaughlin only made one field goal in Saturday's matchup with #1 Northwest Florida but it was a big one. Her layup with 13.7 seconds remaining in the game put the Lady Indians ahead 59-58 to give Chipola their ninth win on the season. The win also moved the Lady Indians into a tie for first place in the Panhandle Conference with the Raiders.

This NJCAA top five matchup was a battle from the start with the teams trading baskets and defensive stops throughout the first quarter. Isadora Sousa hit two shots from three-point range in the first quarter to keep the Lady Indians close. At the end of the first quarter, the Raiders led 13-12.

In the second quarter, Chipola took it to the Raiders. Northwest Florida made just three shots in the second quarter as the Chipola defense held the Raiders to 18.8 percent shooting. Meanwhile, the Lady Indians shot 50 percent from the floor in the quarter and made 6-of-7 shots from the charity stripe. At the half, the Lady Indians led the Raiders, 27-19.

Perhaps the biggest enemy the Lady Indians have faced all season has been the third quarter. Once again, the Lady Indians struggled to maintain consistency and allowed the Raiders to fight their way back into the game. Northwest Florida outscored the Lady Indians in the quarter 21-12 to take a 40-39 lead into the final period.

The fourth quarter was a battle of two teams worthy of their rankings. With just over eight minutes to play in the game, Chipola took the lead, 43-42, on a jump shot from De'Myla Brown. Although the teams would be tied three different times over the next seven minutes, the Lady Indians did not trail until the Raiders hit a three with :40 remaining. Trailing 58-57, Chipola brought the ball down the floor looking to retake the lead. Ifunanya Nwachukwu found a wide open Jordan McLaughlin under the basket for the layup with :13.7 remaining. The Raiders would get two shots off with one hitting the back of the iron and the other falling short, giving Chipola the 59-58 win.

De'Myla Brown had 19 and Isadora Sousa poured in 18 for the Lady Indians. As a team, Chipola shot 39.6 percent (19-of-48), including 6-of-14 from three point range. The Lady Indians were 15-of-18 from the free throw line.

Chipola (9-1; 6-1 PC) will play again on the road, Wednesday night, at Gulf Coast Community College. Tip-off is set for 5:30 PM.