Raiders Set for FCSAA Title Defense, Aiming for Fourth Championship in Six Seasons

NICEVILLE, Fla. — The Northwest Florida State women's basketball team is set to begin its 2025 postseason run as the No. 1-seeded Raiders take on No. 8-seed Hillsborough College in the opening round of the FCSAA DI State Basketball Championships. The matchup is scheduled for tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. inside Raider Arena.

Following an impressive 26-2 regular season and a 10-2 conference record, the Raiders secured their seventh consecutive Panhandle Conference Championship. Now, they look to defend their title and claim back-to-back FCSAA State/NJCAA Region VIII Championships. Last season, Northwest Florida entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed and defeated Florida SouthWestern, Eastern Florida, and Gulf Coast to win its sixth state title in program history.

The Raiders wrapped up the regular season in dominant fashion, cruising past Gulf Coast 67-38 on March 3 to sweep the season series and claim the Panhandle title outright. Leading the charge this season has been the veteran core of Mekhia Chase, Deborah Davenport, Nevaeh Scott, and Kyla McBride. All four sophomores earned First Team All-Panhandle Conference honors, with Chase, Davenport, and Scott also earning spots on the prestigious All-FCSAA team. Freshman standout Kamryn Corporan was named to the All-FCSAA Second Team, one of just three freshmen to receive the honor.

Chase has been the Raiders' offensive leader, averaging 13.1 points per game on a team-high 56.0% shooting while adding 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per contest. Davenport has been a dominant presence on both ends, averaging 9.5 points and leading the team in rebounds (7.4 per game) while ranking second in blocks (1.3 per game). Scott has been a force in the frontcourt, finishing second on the team in scoring with 11.3 points per game and leading the squad in three-point shooting at 44.1%. McBride has been a key contributor as well, averaging 9.7 points and leading the team in blocks (1.6 per game).

As a team, Northwest Florida has been dominant on both ends of the floor, averaging 68.5 points per game while shooting 45.9% from the field—ranking eighth nationally. Defensively, the Raiders have stifled opponents, allowing just 47.3 points per game, the fourth-best mark in the country.

Hillsborough enters the tournament as the No. 8 seed with a 17-11 overall record, including a 9-9 mark in the Citrus Conference. The Hawks have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games but are coming off an 87-60 loss to Miami Dade in their regular-season finale.

The Hawks are led by the dynamic backcourt duo of Massiel Reyes and Jasmin Bocca. Reyes, an All-FCSAA selection, is averaging 18.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. Bocca has been equally impactful, averaging 15.2 points per game en route to earning First Team All-Citrus Conference honors. Offensively, Hillsborough thrives on scoring, posting 77.4 points per game on 40.0% shooting. However, defensively, they allow nearly 70 points per contest (67.8).

The winner of this matchup will advance to the FCSAA State Championship semifinals to face the winner of the Gulf Coast State vs. Eastern Florida quarterfinal.

Before tipoff, Northwest Florida head coach Bart Walker will be inducted into the FCSAA Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Walker has built an impressive legacy at Northwest Florida, amassing over 250 wins while leading the Raiders to two National Championships, three FCSAA State Championships, seven Panhandle Conference titles, and earning two National Coach of the Year awards.

With their eyes set on another deep postseason run, the Raiders are primed to take the first step toward defending their state title.