Late comeback propels Northwest Florida in their 64-60 win over Hillsborough

NICEVILLE, FL - A collective exhale could be heard from all of the Raider fans in attendance after the final buzzer sounded in their quarterfinals game against Hillsborough on Thursday night.  Sloppy NWF play, combined with an upset-minded Hawks squad that was up to the task all night long, resulted in some very anxious moments for the Raider faithful.  After trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half, a tremendous fourth quarter rally spurred Northwest Florida to an exciting, and relieving, 64-60 victory that sends them to the quarterfinals of the FCSAA State/NJCAA Region VIII Tournament on Friday.

The Raiders found themselves in battle all evening in large part due to an inordinate amount of turnovers, 31 to be exact.  The first half set the tone, albeit the wrong kind, for what was to come as NWF committed 21 of those 31 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.  Had it not been for the solid defense they played, the Raiders would likely found themselves in a large halftime deficit but instead took a narrow 2-point lead into the locker room. 

Any hopes of the Raiders coming out in the second half and looking like the team that won the Panhandle Conference were quickly dashed.  Hillsborough meant business in the third period, outscoring NWF 22-13 in the quarter behind big time shots and more careless possessions by the Raiders.  The game was seemingly slipping away from the top-seed in the tournament and the entire Northwest Florida sideline was in search for a serious spark.

After going to a full court press, the Raiders found their energy, tenacious defense, and timely shot making to climb back into the game.  Hillsborough found it very tough sledding when they had possession of the basketball and the Raiders turned those stops into quick baskets on the other end.  After tying the game with 3 minutes left, Last-Tear Poa came to life with a huge 3-pointer on the left wing in front of the Raider bench to take the lead, which induced a euphoric celebration from the entire team.  Northwest Florida closed out the game with huge free throws by veterans Poa, Masengo Mutanda, Ines Piper, and Noelani Cornfield.

Cornfield led the Raiders in scoring with 14, while Mutanda and Poa added 12 and 10 respectively.  Northwest Florida will next be in action in the semifinals on Friday night at 8:00 pm in Raider Arena.

To get all of the latest scores and information, be sure to follow the tournament's Twitter account @RegionVIIIHoops.