Northwest Florida Clips No. 2 Chipola in Raider Arena

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Ninth-ranked Northwest Florida women's basketball stepped up in the fourth quarter to secure a key Panhandle Conference win over No. 2 Chipola, 74-68, Wednesday in Raider Arena.

The Raiders (18-3, 3-2 PC) got redemption for a disappointing loss to the Indians in Marianna on Jan. 8. On Wednesday, Reneasha Payton scored a game-high 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting. Rayven Peeples added 14 points on a 7-of-8 effort from the field, while Chanaya Pinto chipped in with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Fapou Semebene was the fourth NWF player in double figures with 10 points.

"It was a great win for our team," Northwest Florida head coach Bart Walker said. "I thought we came out and played extremely well. This is the Panhandle Conference; you have to be ready every time out and I thought we were ready tonight."

Northwest Florida shot 52.6 percent (30-57) for the game as a team and outscored Chipola (19-2, 4-1) 44-28 in the paint. The Raiders won the final frame 26-16 and held its opponent to just one field goal over the first five minutes of the quarter.

The loss was the first in conference play for the Indians and just the team's second of the season. Rachel Johnson led Chipola with 16 points in the game.

Next up, NWF travels to Panama City to take on Gulf Coast on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.

For more information on Northwest Florida athletics, visit NWFRaider.com or follow us on Twitter at @NWF_Raiders.