Northwest Florida Falls to No. 17 Chipola on the Road

MARIANNA, Fla. – Northwest Florida State men's basketball dropped a hard-fought game to No. 17 Chipola College on Saturday, falling 67-57 in Marianna. The loss marks the Raiders' second in a row, leaving them at 1-2 in conference play.

The contest was a tightly contested affair, featuring three ties and ten lead changes. Chipola opened strong with a 9-2 run in the first four minutes to take an early lead. However, Dwayne Perice ignited the Raiders' offense, scoring six consecutive points to cut the deficit to six with just over ten minutes remaining in the half.

Northwest Florida then capitalized on Chipola's mistakes, going on a 10-0 run fueled by seven Indian turnovers over a four-minute stretch, giving the Raiders their first lead at 25-21. Despite the surge, Chipola answered back by attacking the heart of the Raider defense, keeping the score close. By halftime, the Indians reclaimed the lead, holding a slim 33-30 advantage.

The second half mirrored the first, with both teams exchanging baskets in a seesaw battle. However, midway through the period, both squads began to struggle offensively, leading to turnovers and missed opportunities, particularly for the Raiders.

Chipola capitalized on the dry spell, extending their lead to five with 7:21 remaining after a corner three-pointer, prompting a Raider timeout. Northwest Florida's offensive woes continued, as the team went scoreless for the next three and a half minutes, allowing the Indians to widen the gap to nine points.

Facing a double-digit deficit late in the game, the Raiders fought to mount a comeback for the second straight week. Unfortunately, the effort fell short, as Chipola held firm to secure the 67-57 victory.

STATS & PERFORANCES OF NOTE

• Davion Hill was the Raiders leading scorer with 18 points for the contest. Dwayne Pierce followed him with 11 points as the only two Raiders to reach double figures.
• For the Indians, four players achieved double figures: Aluma (15), Lincoln (13), Webster (11), and Baker (10).
• The Raiders outrebounded the Indians (33-30) including on the offensive glass (10-8).
• The Raiders fell victim to 18 turnovers compared to the Indians 12.
• Both teams shot similar percentages from the field, right above the 40.0% mark. Chipola shot 45.5% while the Raiders shot 41.5%.
• This loss brings the Raiders record to 15-5 overall and 1-2 in conference.

UP NEXT

The Raiders will be back in action next weekend when they hit the road for the third consecutive game as they head to the State Capital of Tallahassee to take on the Eagles. Tip off for that game is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CST.