PENSACOLA, Fla. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a bizarre and decisive opening sequence, the Santa Fe Saints overcame long odds and a significant second-half rally to defeat the Pensacola State Pirates 67-61 in a men’s junior college basketball game Sunday.

The contest’s most critical stretch occurred before many fans had found their seats. The Saints opened the game on a 15-0 run, a surge that ultimately provided the margin of victory. Pensacola State missed its first seven field goal attempts and committed two turnovers before finally scoring on a Deven Bates layup with 19:57 remaining in the first quarter. By that point, Santa Fe had already built an insurmountable cushion in a low-possession, defensive struggle.

Santa Fe, which entered the game with a 1-1 record, rode that early explosion to a 34-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. Moses Horne led the Saints with 22 points and seven rebounds, consistently answering Pensacola State runs with key baskets. The Saints shot just 12 for 35 from the floor but were efficient from the free-throw line, making 17 of 22 attempts.

The Pirates, who fell to 8-3, spent the rest of the game clawing back. They outscored Santa Fe 42-33 in the second quarter behind a combined effort from Deven Bates and Malick Sene. Bates finished with 22 points and six rebounds, while Sene posted a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Sean Owens added 11 points for the Pirates.

Pensacola State’s comeback attempt was hampered by poor shooting and foul trouble. The team shot 20 for 52 from the field and only 5 for 18 from three-point range. More critically, the Pirates were called for 14 fouls to Santa Fe’s five, leading to a 17-8 disparity in free throws made.

Despite having more possessions, 57 to Santa Fe’s 46, the Pirates could not overcome their frigid start. Santa Fe’s offensive rating of 96.9 edged Pensacola State’s 93.5 in a game where both defenses controlled the tempo. The Saints committed seven turnovers, while the Pirates had six.

Other key contributors for Santa Fe included Harvey Wilson with nine points and Guy Twitty with eight points, all from the free-throw line in the second quarter. Tre Dubois grabbed eight rebounds for the Saints.

The result was an upset according to pregame analytics, as Interstat’s ELO system had projected Pensacola State with a 73.6 percent probability to win.

Santa Fe looks to build on the win with a road game at South Georgia State on Friday. Pensacola State will try to rebound on the road at Miami Dade, also on Friday.