Raiders capture Panhandle Crown with 80-52 victory over Pensacola

NICEVILLE, FL - The Raiders ended their regular season in dramatic fashion on Saturday.  While the post-season berth was locked, hanging a 2021-22 Panhandle Conference Champions banner in the rafters was at the forefront of NWF's minds when they hosted Pensacola in their season finale.  A win on Saturday meant the Raiders could do just that.  After overcoming some early game jitters, Northwest Florida settled in and accomplished their goal by racing past the Pirates 80-52 and in process claimed the distinction of being conference champs in head coach Greg Heiar's first season at the helm.

In addition to trying to achieve the conference crown, another large incentive in the game was to get the Raider offense back on track after a tough two-game stretch a week ago.  The beginning portion of the first half didn't exactly produce a lot of positive vibes as the Pirates kept the Raiders at bay in the early going, and in the process took a 7-point lead in the first 5 minutes.  Once NWF settled in, however, it was a return of the Raiders' free flowing, high tempo offense that the Northwest Florida had been accustomed to for the vast majority of the season. 

The Raiders were dynamic after the midway point in the first half.  The offensive flow featured terrific ball movement that lead to 19 NWF assists in the game.  Additionally, the Raiders valued their possessions much more than they had in the previous few games, only turning the ball over 8 times on the night.  All of that turned into a incredibly balanced scoring night across the board, with four Raiders scoring in double figures, highlighted by Kam Woods and Brennan Rigsby's 18 points each.  Jaylon McDaniel and Deshawndre Washington added 11 and 12 points respectively.

Defensively, NWF was suffocating for most the game.  The Raider limited to Pensacola to 52 points and just 36% shooting.  The aggressiveness also allowed Northwest Florida to force 18 Pirate turnovers, which led to transition baskets and explosive offense on the other end.

With the regular season now complete and a conference championship under their belt, NWF (25-4, 9-3) will now focus a post-season run when the return to Raider Arena when they take part in the FCSAA State/NJCAA Region VIII Tournament on March 2.

For more information on Northwest Florida State athletics, visit NWFRaiders.com or follow @NWFRaiders on Twitter.