Raiders Fall to Chipola on the Road, 72-56

MARIANNA, Fla. — On Saturday night, Northwest Florida State men's basketball suffered a tough road loss to No. 13 Chipola, officially ending their postseason hopes. Earlier in the day, Gulf Coast secured a top-three finish with a win over Pensacola, eliminating the Raiders from contention.

The Raiders struggled offensively against Chipola's zone defense, managing just 26 first-half points and trailing at the break. The deficit was only four in the final seconds of the half, but a buzzer-beating three from Chipola stretched the lead to seven heading into halftime.

The momentum remained with the Indians as they knocked down another three to open the second half, extending their advantage to 36-26. Despite Northwest Florida's efforts to rally, Chipola had an answer at every turn, halting any potential momentum shift.

With just over 11 minutes remaining, the Raiders cut the deficit to nine, only for Chipola to respond with another three, pushing the lead back to 12. From there, the Indians continued to apply pressure, growing their lead to as much as 20.

By that point, the outcome was all but sealed. Chipola controlled the final minutes and secured a 72-56 victory, clinching their fifth consecutive conference championship and a spot in the FCSAA State Tournament.

Postgame Notes

• Josh Hayes led the Charge for the Raiders, scoring 13 points while adding seven rebounds.
• Davion Hill and Dwyane Pierce finished right behind Hayes in scoring, tallying 12 points each while Hill managed to secure nine rebounds.
• The Raiders shot 40.4% (19-47) from the field, including 26.7% (4-15) from three.
• The loss marks the Raiders sixth loss in conference play—just the fourth time this century the Raiders have tallied six or more losses in conference play.
• This will be the first time since 2021 the Raiders will not compete in the FCSAA State Tournament.

Up Next

The Raiders return to action on Monday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. for a make-up game against No. 10 Gulf Coast. Originally postponed in January due to a snowstorm, this matchup will serve as the final regular-season home game before the state tournament, making it a special night for the program.

The Raiders will celebrate Sophomore Night, honoring five player: Jadarian Faulkner, Curtis Williams, Josh Hayes, Nathan Ojukwu and Rupee Kolawole.

Additionally, it's Chick-fil-A Night at the Arena, with Niceville CFA handing out free sandwich coupons and giving one lucky fan free Chick-fil-A for a year during halftime of the men's game.