Advancing: Northwest Florida State Defeats Florida Southwestern on Thursday, Progresses to Region VIII Semifinals on Friday
NICEVILLE, FL — Once again, Northwest Florida State Basketball will be moving on in the FCSAA DI/NJCAA South Atlantic District (Region VIII) Women's Basketball Championships following a 68-42 victory over Florida Southwestern Thursday at Raider Arena.
The Buccaneers led the Raiders early in the first quarter, carrying a 10-4 advantage over Northwest Florida. However, a 17-3 run by the Raiders to close out the first period helped propel them to an eight point lead, a lead they would not surrender for the remainder of the contest.
Northwest Florida out played Florida Southwestern on pretty much all fronts today. The Raiders shot a 46.9% clip as a team compared to the Bucs 31.5% from the field. They also out worked them on the glass, grabbing 42 total rebounds for a plus 11 differential, and out passed the Bucs, dishing out 23 assists, which was 12 more than Florida Southwestern had (11).
Destiney McPhaul and Celia Riviere, both honored as First-Team All-Panhandle and All-FCSAA selections, showcased their exceptional skills in the game. Each scoring 16 points, they combined for a total of 32 points. Riviere demonstrated her versatility once again by securing a double-double with ten rebounds and contributing five assists. Meanwhile, McPhaul displayed her playmaking abilities by distributing eight assists alongside her scoring.
Additionally, Mekhia Chase, another First-Team All-Conference Selection, delivered a strong performance. She contributed 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds, distributed five assists, and secured three steals during the game.
This win marks the 25th of the year for Baart Walker and company as the team improves to 25-3 and have won four straight games. Northwest Florida now advances to the semifinal round of the Region 8 Championships where they are set to meet three seed Eastern Florida for the 6:00 PM game Friday.
The Raiders and Titans last met on November 11, 2023, where the Raiders stormed to a 70-45 victory over EFSC. Since that game, the Titans have won 26-straight games, including tonight after they defeated Hillsborough, 72-45, to put them into Friday's semifinal matchup. This game will also be a rematch of last years State/Region VIII Championship, which saw the Titans come away with a 48-43 victory over the Raiders at Raider Arena, securing their first FCSAA State/Region VIII Championship.