Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC) clinched the NJCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship trophy on Monday night after securing a nail-biting 66-63 victory against Trinity Valley Community College. The Raiders’ victory marks their second national title in program history and their thirteenth national tournament appearance. The team previously won their first national tournament championship title in 2021.

Despite falling 10 points behind in the first quarter, the Raiders made a remarkable comeback through a combination of solid defense and exceptional execution on offense. Sophomore Sakima Walker led the charge for the Raiders, scoring 23 points and recording 42 rebounds and 14 assists in total. Destiney McPhaul, Zayla Tinner, and Celia Riviere also played pivotal roles in the win, contributing to the team’s 42 rebounds and 14 assists.

In recognition of her outstanding performance throughout the national tournament, Walker was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 NJCAA DI Women’s Basketball Championship.

In a post-game statement, NWFSC President Devin Stephenson expressed his pride in the team’s achievement and praised coach Bart Walker’s leadership. “The Lady Raiders’ victory is an outstanding achievement and a testament to our commitment to excellence at Northwest Florida State College. The best truly is our standard,” he said.

Fans can follow NWFSC’s athletics on Twitter by following @NWFRaiders or by visiting NWFRaiders.com for more information. Congratulations to the Lady Raiders!