Sakima Walker's Double-Double Propels Raiders over Chipola

MARIANNA, Fla. - It didn't take long for the Raiders to get back in the win column as Northwest Florida went into The Milt and pulled out a 67-61 victory over the Lady Indians. Northwest Florida improves to 20-3, 8-1 in the Panhandle Conference. The win tonight clinched a spot in the FCSAA Region VIII State Tournament. The Raiders will look to defend their state title from last year.

The Raiders got back to playing their lockdown defense tonight as they held the Lady Indians to 20-52 (38.5%) shooting from the field. Despite Ashley Baez scoring 19 points tonight, the Raiders held the 4th leading scorer in the nation to 3-11 from beyond the arc. Northwest Florida grabbed 29 defensive rebounds, totaling 39 on the night compared to Chipola's 23. 

Northwest Florida was living in the paint tonight with 32 points inside. Sakima Walker played a large part with a team-leading 25 points on the night. Walker was nearly unstoppable as she was 11-15 from the field and recorded 14 rebounds. Destiney McPhaul had another great night on the hardwood, recording 15 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Zayla Tinner was efficient as well, scoring 15 points. As a team, the Raiders were 28-53 (52.8%) from the field.

The Lady Raiders (20-3, 8-1) will be back in Raider Arena on Wednesday, February 15th vs. the Tallahassee Eagles. The Eagles (2-22, 0-8) were off tonight but, lost in their last game to Chipola 88-40. Tallahassee is on a 12-game losing streak and have lost in the first 2 matchups vs. the Raiders 82-56 and 94-69. 

For more information on Northwest Florida Athletics, visit NWFRaiders.com or follow @NWFRaiders on Twitter and Instagram.