No. 7 Chipola Falls Short to Pensacola State in Conference Opener, 75–71

Pensacola State Edges No. 7 Chipola in Conference Opener, 75–71

MARIANNA, Fla. — Pensacola State College opened conference play with a hard-fought 75–71 victory over No. 7 Chipola College on Tuesday night, handing the Indians their first league loss of the season in a tightly contested matchup.

Pensacola State was led by a standout performance from Devin Bates, who poured in 28 points to pace the Pirates. Pensacola's perimeter shooting proved to be the difference, as the Pirates connected on 13 three-pointers and shot an efficient 50 percent from beyond the arc. Overall, Pensacola finished the night shooting 51 percent from the field, consistently capitalizing on scoring opportunities in a back-and-forth contest.

Chipola College battled throughout the game and had balanced scoring across the lineup. Hedrens Bartelus and Demarco Middleton Jr. led the Indians with 14 points apiece, while Jaylin Simmons and Peyton Wiggins added 12 points each. Despite strong efforts on both ends of the floor, Chipola was unable to overcome Pensacola's hot shooting in the closing minutes.

The game marked the conference opener for both teams, setting an early tone for league play. With the loss, Chipola College moves to 0–1 in conference action while remaining an impressive 16–3 overall on the season.

Chipola will look to bounce back quickly as they hit the road for a tough conference matchup on Wednesday night. The Indians are set to face No. 6 Gulf Coast State College at 7:30 p.m. in what promises to be another high-level showdown between ranked opponents.