Game Preview: Lady Indians open Panhandle action with #1 Raiders
#20 Chipola travels to Niceville for a 2 PM tip to begin conference play
MARIANNA, Fla. – The #20 Lady Indians (16-2) travel to Niceville this afternoon for the start of Panhandle Conference play. Tip for Chipola vs. #1 Northwest Florida (15-0) is at 2 PM.
Despite losing two players, sophomore Tatiana Platonova and freshman Helena Axelsson, to injury in the preseason and one of the leading scorers on the team, Jasmine Jones, to injury in game 16, first-year Coach John Marcum has the Lady Indians poised to make a run for the postseason.
The Lady Indians are averaging 78.6 points per game which is good for 28th among NJCAA D1 teams. On the defensive side of the ball, Chipola is 6th allowing just 48.7 points per game.
Their opponent, the defending NJCAA Champion, is 16th in scoring at 79.9 ppg and is second defensively allowing opponents just 42.9.
Chipola sophomore guard, Tahnyjia Purifoy, is tied for 17th in the country in scoring with 18.7 ppg. Purifoy is shooting 45.7% from the floor including 38.6% from three-point range. On December 17, the Pensacola native scored a career-high, 32 points, against nationally-ranked Shelton State on the road.
The Raiders are led by sophomore guard Destiney McPhaul from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A FCSAA/Region VIII and NJCAA All-Tournament team member a season ago, McPhaul averages 13.9 ppg and is shooting 50.4% from the floor. She can also get hot from long distance, shooting 40.6% from behind the arc.
GAME NOTES
- The Raiders have won the last six games against the Lady Indians, including a 66-52 win in the first round of last season's FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament. Chipola's last win over the Raiders was on January 22, 2022. The Lady Indians defeated Northwest Florida that day, 52-50, at The Milton H. Johnson Center in Marianna.
- Northwest Florida has also won the last six games between the two teams inside Raider Arena. The last Chipola win over NWF in Raider Arena was a 59-58 victory on February 27, 2021. Chipola went on to win the program's seventh FCSAA/Region VIII Championship that season, going 3-0 in the tournament at Raider Arena.
- Since winning the championship on the Raider's home floor in 2021, Chipola is 1-5 at Raider Arena with the lone winning coming over Florida SouthWestern at the FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament in 2022.
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