Lady Commodores Suffer Their First Conference Loss

The Commodores traveled to Marianna on Wednesday to face a conference opponent in the Chipola Indians for the second time this season. The women’s team had beaten the Indians by 28 points back in January, but the rematch was much closer.

Gulf Coast got off to a slow start and Raiane Dias Dos Santos had to go to the bench early with two fouls. After initially trailing by 7, the Commodores came back to end the first quarter with an 18-17 lead. The team started the second quarter with a bang, going on a 17 to 2 run behind Santi Davy’s 11 first half points. However, Chipola went on their own run cutting the Commodores’ lead to just 3 at halftime. The second half saw a disproportionate foul count take shape, as most of the Commodores found themselves in foul trouble. As the game came down to the wire, Alisha Murray made multiple clutch baskets before fouling out of the game. She was not the only Commodore to leave the game, however. When the fourth quarter buzzer sounded, the teams were tied at 71. Gulf Coast had to start overtime with only four players, as the rest of the roster fouled out. Raiane Dias Dos Santos fouled out with three minutes left in overtime, leaving only Alieghya Bartholomew, Taryn Johnson, and Santi Davy on the floor for the Commodores. The 3 on 5 disadvantage was too much for Gulf Coast, leading to a 86 to 80 loss. Bartholomew finished the game with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists, showing great fight despite the loss.

The Gulf Coast men’s team was looking to even the season series against Chipola, having fallen to the Indians 76-72 earlier in the season. The first half was a struggle for the Commodores, as the Indians kept a multi possession lead throughout the half. Jaxon Ellingworth had 14 points, as the Commodores went into the break down 38-30. The offense continued to struggle in the second half, but the defense held strong. The Commodores came back to tie the game with 5 minutes remaining behind Jamari Piercy’s 15 points. However, Chipola went on a 5-0 run late to give Gulf Coast a 68-66 loss. This is the third straight loss for the Commodores, who now stand at 2-4 in conference play. Both the women’s and the men’s teams will look to bounce back against Northwest Florida on Saturday.