March 10, 2017
Gainesville, FL – The Santa Fe College Saints left it all on the court Friday afternoon against NJCAA #5 Chipola College, eventually falling to the national powerhouse 67-47. The loss ends SF’s season.
The Saints (19-11) held the Indians to 10 points below their season average, but were never able to get their own offense going after a solid first quarter.
Santa Fe jumped out to a lead in the first few minutes of the game, and trailed by just three, 22-19, after 10 minutes played.
Chipola (27-3) made it their game plan to shut down Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year Arianna Emanuel-Wright. They face guarded her for the final three quarters and held her to 10 points in her final game for the Saints.
The second quarter was a tough one for Santa Fe. The Indians turned up their defensive pressure and held SF to six points and forced nine turnovers.
Santa Fe cut the lead to nine in the third quarter, but three unanswered three pointers by the Indians helped them pull away.
Despite the loss, the Saints turned in a season Coach Chanda Stebbins is proud of.
“I’m very proud of how hard our girls played this year,” said Stebbins. “We battled hard, a little short handed the last few games and that hurt us. I’m proud of every single player’s commitment on the court and the investment they have made in themselves.”
Coach Stebbins herself had a successful season, winning her 200th career game and became the all-time leader in wins with 214. She was named the Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time.
Nine sophomores played their final game in Santa Fe College blue and white. Arianna Emanuel-Wright, who is headed to the University of North Florida to continue her career, finishes number seven on the all-time scoring list with 850 points and was named the Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year.
For complete schedules, stats, and more information please visit www.santafesaints.com.