NWF wins a thriller over Indian Hills to advance to the Elite 8

HUTCHINSON, KS - The primetime showdown between two storied programs in Northwest Florida State College and Indian Hills in the NJCAA Men's Basketball National Tournament on Tuesday night was expected to be tightly contested, ultra competitive, and loaded with big time plays from both sides.  The thrilling contest played at the Hutchinson Sports Arena in the Round of 16 did not disappoint, easily living up to the billing of spectator's dream. A rollercoaster of momentum in the game's final minutes, with both teams trading huge shots down the stretch, ended up in the Northwest Florida's favor when the clock expired.  The Raiders, after a clutch bucket with 10 seconds remaining, got a huge defensive stop in the game's final seconds to secure an exhilarating 65-64 win over Indian Hills to advance to the NJCAA Elite 8! 

For much of the first half, the Raiders seemed to be in control, particularly on the defensive end.  With just four minutes left in the period, Indian Hills had been stymied to just 16 points and shortly thereafter NWF extended their lead to nine with 2:38 left before halftime.  The Warriors, however, would find a spark in the closing minutes, trimming the Raider lead to 33-27 at the break, in what would be a prelude of things to come once the second half resumed.

Indian Hills came out of the locker room and quickly jumped on Northwest Florida to the tune of a 10-2 run and eventually raced out to an 8-point lead with 14:29 mark of the second half.  Momentum was clearly on the Warriors' side and the Raiders needed to regroup.

Midway through the second period, the Raiders found their rhythm again.  When it wasn't Deshawndre Washington getting to the rim for baskets, it was Brennan Rigsby knocking down 3-pointers to provide a much needed explosion of energy for Northwest Florida.  This run brought the Raiders back in front but from there on out it was like a game of hot potato for who had the lead next. 

The back and forth between the two teams continued, especially in the game's final two minutes.  The Raiders found themselves down one point with 16 seconds left on the clock.  While most of those in attendance figured Washington would have the ball in his hands, it was another sophomore who rose to the occasion.  Tre Clark received the ball at the top of the key, penetrated the lane, and made a beautiful 5-foot floater that barely rippled the net to give the Raiders the one point advantage with 6-seconds left.  After an Indian Hills timeout, the Raiders locked in on the defensive end and forced a tough contested shot by the Warriors that fell short and left NWF to celebrate the exciting 65-64 victory.

Washington had another terrific game for the Raiders, leading them in scoring with 19 points on 8-16 shooting.  Brennan Rigsby poured in 11 points and Kam Woods added 10.  Shammah Scott provided a big spark in the first half for NWF and he finished with 9 points.

Northwest Florida now improves to 28-5 overall and advances into the Elite 8 where they will play Dodge City on Thursday, March 17 at 2:00 PM (CST). 

To watch all the tournament action, visit https://www.njcaa.org/network/landing/index. 

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