NATE HICKS – The Corsair
The Pirates steadily chipped away at a first half 20-point deficit but it wasn’t enough to beat the No. 3 team in the nation, Chipola, 67-61 Jan. 29 in the Hartsell Arena.
What seemed to be a steady fight back and forth soon got away from the Pirates as the Chipola Indians pulled away with a damaging lead of 46-26 with 12 minutes left in the first half.
“Chipola is not a team you want to take lightly and get behind in the first half of a game,” said assistant coach Michael Dimick.
All seemed lost before redshirt freshman guard Jeff Mullahey decided to take the game into his own hands. Mullahey helped the Pirates stay within striking distance as he hit shot after shot . Whether it be driving down the lane or shooting beyond the arc, Mullahey was unstoppable as he led the team with a high of 13 points.
The Pirates fought their way back after halftime as Mullahey called on Pace High teammate, Justin Wright. Diving to the cold gym floor, Mullahey scrambled for a loose ball and fed it to Wright as he drove in the lane to make the score 59-52.
Chipola, still in the lead, could do nothing but watch as the Pirates finally took their first lead as Wright hit a three-pointer followed by 2 free-throws to make the score 61-60. Wright would end the game with a total of 12 points.
Unable to remain in control of the game the Pirates faced a heart wrenching loss 67-61.
“It felt amazing to come back from such a huge deficit, but it is upsetting that we could not end the game with a win,” said Mullahey.
The Pirates face Gulf Coast Community College Feb. 2 in Panama City.