Raiders Fall to Commodores at Home, 71-60

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Gulf Coast State Secured another win over Northwest Florida State this season, handing the Raiders their second loss of the season – second in conference play and first at home – with a final score of 71-60 on Saturday at Raider Arena.

The Raiders did an excellent job in forcing turnovers as the Commodores finished the game with 27 total. Hoverer, the team struggled to stop Gulf Coast from hitting the three ball as the Commodores connected on ten threes in the game. On the other hand, NWF could not get things going offensively for much of the game, boasting a 35.3% shooting percentage as a team, including a rough 7.7% clip from three.

The Raiders made a late push in the game's final stages, going on a 13-0 scoring run while forcing multiple Commodore turnovers to cut the lead to as little as seven with just over a minute to play. But this wasn't enough as Gulf Coast prevailed to secure their second win over NWF this season, dropping them to 20-2 on the year and 5-2 in Panhandle conference play.

SUMMARY

The Commodores got out in front of the Raiders big and early, opening the game on a 13-2 scoring run in the first five minutes of action. Jaela Davis ended the Raiders' scoring doubt with a layup coming off a Gulf Coast turnover. Destiney McPhaul then hit a jumper on the ensuing possession to cut the Raiders deficit down to six with a little over three minutes remaining. Celia Riviere would add a basket with about a minute remaining in the quarter, but not before the Commodores could add two more makes before the buzzer, giving Gulf Coast the early 17-9 advantage.

The Raiders gained some ground in the second quarter following three straight makes – two by McPhaul and one by Riviere – putting the score at 20-15. However, Gulf Coast quickly responded by sinking a triple to push their lead back to eight. Trailing by six with 3:36 left in the second period, the Raiders embarked on an 11-0 scoring run, starting with a pair of Mekhia Chase free throws and capped off with a layup by Riviere to close out the first half, giving the Raiders a 30-26 lead heading to the break.

The Commodores came out of the locker rooms hot, making eight of their first nine shots, including two made threes, helping them regain a 45-38 advantage. Meanwhile, the Raiders struggled to make shots, converting just four of their 12 attempts for the quarter. At the same time, the Commodores continued to find ways to score. By the end of the third quarter, Gulf Coast had jumped out to a 15-point lead, putting NWF in a difficult spot heading into the final frame.

The Commodores opened the fourth quarter by connecting on another pair of three-pointers and a free throw, giving them their largest lead of the game (22) with eight minutes to play in the contest. However, the Raiders did not shy away, forcing multiple Commodore turnovers down the stretch and converting on several makes inside the final five minutes of play. The Raiders wound up cutting the deficit to a little at seven following a 13-0 scoring run – their largest of the game – starting and ending with makes by Chase. However, the Commodores showed little panic as they continued to find ways to score inside and get trips to the free-throw line. Eventually, time would run out on the Raider's comeback hopes, as Gulf Coast walked away from Raider Arena with a 71-60 victory over NWF.

UP NEXT

The Raiders will be back in action next week as they get set for a quick road trip to Pensacola to take on the Pirates on Wednesday at 5:30 PM before returning home for another game against Chipola on Saturday at 2:00 PM.