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Raiders Travel To Mariana Saturday Night to Take on Chipola
Posted: Feb 28, 2025

Raiders Travel To Mariana Saturday Night to Take on Chipola

 

 

WOMEN

#3 Northwest Florida State (24-2, 8-2) at #1 Chipola (26-2, 8-2)

March 1, 2025 | 5:15 p.m. CST | Marianna, FL

 

MEN

Northwest Florida State (19-8, 5-5) at #13 Chipola (22-6, 7-3)

March 1, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. CST | Marianna, FL

 

Live Stream: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/fl/marianna/organization/160055/chipola-college/video

  

NICEVILLE, Fla. — Northwest Florida State's men's and women's basketball teams are set for one final road test on Saturday evening, facing off against Chipola as the regular season nears its conclusion.

The Raiders and Indians last clashed on Feb. 12 at Raider Arena, where the women's squad secured a 57-50 victory over the No. 2-ranked Lady Indians. The win avenged their earlier January 25 loss, in which Chipola pulled away in the fourth quarter after a tightly contested first three periods.

On the men's side, the Raiders have fallen short in both previous meetings with the Indians—first in Marianna (67-57) and then in Niceville (69-64). Both games were hard-fought battles, but the Raiders struggled to close out Chipola, surrendering second-half leads that proved costly.

With the regular season winding down, both teams have plenty at stake. The women are chasing their seventh consecutive conference championship and a top seed in the FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament. A win would not only guarantee at least a share of the title but likely secure the No. 1 seed.

Meanwhile, the men are fighting to solidify their postseason hopes. Two more wins would significantly boost their chances, though a rare scenario still exists in which they could end up in a tie for first but miss out on the postseason. For now, their focus remains on what they can control—taking care of business against Chipola on Saturday before heading into Monday's showdown with Gulf Coast with momentum on their side.

STATE TOURNAMENT PASSES ON SALE!!

  • Fans can now purchase passes for this year's FCSAA State Tournament, taking place March 12-15 at Raider Arena in Niceville. Passes will be available for $40 each (cash/check only) in the Raider Arena breezeway at all remaining home basketball games. You can also purchase your passes online by clicking HERE

 

FASTBREAKS (WOMEN)

  • Northwest Florida State women's basketball dropped to No. 3 in the latest NJCAA Poll following a 69-66 loss to Pensacola last weekend. Despite the setback, the Raiders remain tied for first place with Chipola, which has climbed to No. 1 in the National Poll.
  • Both Northwest Florida and Chipola have secured their spots in the upcoming FCSAA State Basketball Tournament, which will be held at Raider Arena on March 12, 14, and 15.
  • A win for the Raiders would guarantee at least a share of the Panhandle Conference Championship, which would mark their seventh consecutive title under head coach Bart Walker.
  • Mekhia Chase (13.0 PPG) and Nevaeh Scott (10.8 PPG) lead the Raiders offensively, while Chipola is paced by Kaniha Daniel (20.1 PPG), Daniya McDonald (11.1 PPG), and Aniyah Ruddock (10.7 PPG).
  • Chase has been the Raiders' most efficient scorer, shooting 55.8% from the field—ranking 24th nationally—while Scott has been deadly from three-point range, connecting on 45.1% of her attempts, the ninth-best mark in the country.
  • Northwest Florida continues to establish itself as one of the most well-rounded teams in the nation, ranking 11th in field goal percentage (45.7%), 18th in three-point shooting (33.2%), sixth in blocks per game (5.0), fourth in points allowed per game (46.3), and fifth in opponent field goal percentage (31.0%).

 

FASTBREAKS (MEN)

  • The Raiders fell out of the latest NJCAA Poll this week following their loss to Pensacola last weekend. Meanwhile, the Indians dropped from No. 10 to No. 13 after a heartbreaking last-second defeat to No. 15 Gulf Coast.
  • Northwest Florida State is led in scoring by Davion Hill (14.3 PPG) and Dwayne Pierce (12.2 PPG). Chipola's top scorers include Trent Lincoln (11.9 PPG), Antonio Baker (11.7 PPG), and Justin Burns (10.0 PPG).
  • The Raiders can clinch a postseason spot by winning their final two games against Chipola and Gulf Coast, provided that the Indians defeat Tallahassee on Monday. A Pensacola win over Gulf Coast tomorrow would help the Raiders' chances, making Saturday's game against Chipola less critical—but they would still need to beat Gulf Coast. In either scenario, the Raiders' best-case outcome is securing a postseason berth and advancing to a play-in game against the sixth-place Citrus Conference team for a spot in the FCSAA State Tournament.