NWF Secures 61-57 Victory Over Pensacola with Late Fourth Quarter Surge

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Fans attending Wednesday's game at Hartsell Arena witnessed a thrilling showdown between two top conference teams, culminating in a nail-biting finish decided by the final shot. No. 4 Northwest Florida State women's basketball clinched a hard-earned victory over No. 14 Pensacola State, prevailing 61-57. The game-winning moment arrived courtesy of Jaela Davis' clutch three-pointer in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter.

The Raiders established an early lead in the first two quarters, outscoring the Pirates 36-27 by halftime. However, they faced challenges in the third quarter, relinquishing their lead due to turnovers and subpar shooting. Pensacola seized a three-point lead entering the fourth quarter, limiting the Raiders to just five points in the third period.

Nevertheless, NWF orchestrated a comeback in the final quarter, scoring 20 points, including a crucial go-ahead three-pointer from Jaela Davis in the closing moments. This propelled them to a three-point lead and ultimately secured a four-point victory.

Celia Riviere (17) and Destiney McPhaul (12) led the Raiders in scoring, combining for 29 points. Neveah Scott (9) and Jaela Davis (8) also contributed significantly, with Scott adding five assists and four rebounds. The Raiders exhibited impressive shooting, boasting a 53.5% field goal success rate and connecting on 33.3% of their three-point attempts, with Davis responsible for three of the four made threes.

With this triumph, the Raiders boast a season record of 21-2, holding a 6-2 standing in Panhandle Conference play. They currently occupy second place, trailing only No. 2 Gulf Coast, the sole team to defeat the Raiders this season.

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The Raiders are now turning their attention to Saturday, gearing up to welcome No. 24 Chipola at 2:00 PM in Raider Arena before hitting the road again next week for a game against Tallahassee.