Davenport Lifts Raiders Past Hillsborough in FCSAA Quarterfinal

NICEVILLE, Fla. — No. 1 Northwest Florida State women's basketball took care of business Wednesday evening, defeating (8) Hillsborough 72-57 in the quarterfinal round of the FCSAA State Basketball Championships. Leading the charge was Deborah Davenport, who delivered a dominant 21-point, 21-rebound performance while shooting an efficient 9-of-10 from the field to secure the Raiders' 27th win of the season.

The first half proved to be a tighter battle than expected, as the Raiders shot a solid 41.2% from the field but struggled with turnovers, committing 12 giveaways that kept Hillsborough in contention. With just seconds left in the half, the game was knotted at 29-29, but Kyla McBride's clutch pull-up jumper at the buzzer gave Northwest Florida State a narrow 31-29 lead heading into the locker room.

The Raiders wasted no time asserting themselves in the third quarter, opening the period with four straight makes, including three from beyond the arc, to build momentum. Their early surge created a nine-point advantage, and a Mekhia Chase three-pointer extended the lead to double digits. By the end of the quarter, Northwest Florida State had pushed their cushion to 14 points, putting Hillsborough on its heels.

In the final frame, the Hawks struggled to find any offensive rhythm against the Raiders' suffocating defense, going over four minutes without a field goal. When Hillsborough finally ended the drought, Northwest Florida responded immediately with a 7-0 run, extending the lead to 62-49. From there, the Raiders maintained control, cruising to a 72-57 victory to punch their ticket to the semifinals.

Northwest Florida State now turns its attention to (5) Eastern Florida, whom they will face Friday at 3:00 p.m. This marks the third consecutive tournament meeting between the two programs and the second straight semifinal matchup. Last season, the Raiders rolled past the Titans 65-38, avenging their 48-43 loss in the championship game the previous year.

Post Game Notes

• Davenport (21), Chase (17) and McBride (13) were the Raiders three leading scorers with Davenport (21) and Chase (8) also leading the charge in rebounds.
• The Raiders finished with a massive plus 31 edge on the glass, marking a new season high in rebounds (59).
• This marks the seventh straight season the Raiders have advanced to the semifinal round, having made the Championship game in five of those years, winning three times.
• Bart Walker and the Raiders have now won 17 consecutive games at Raider Arena dating back to February 28 of last season.
• The Raiders are 25-0 this season when holding opponents to under 60 points.