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•🏆 Champions Again! Northwest Florida State College wins its third NJCAA title under Coach Bart Walker.
•🔥 Clutch Performance! Sophomores Mekhia Chase, Nevaeh Scott, and Kyla McBride led the team, with McBride sinking key shots.
•🏀 Down to the Wire! Shelton State fought back late, but the Raiders held firm to claim victory.
After overtime heartbreak last year, the Northwest Florida State College Women’s Basketball Team has crested the mountaintop for the third time in Head Coach Bart Walker’s time with the team.
The team celebrated in the middle of the court after their 62 – 53 win over the Shelton State (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Bucs.
Tuesday night’s game was the Bucs’ first-ever title appearance.
Sophomore guards Mekhia Chase, Nevaeh Scott, and Kyla McBride led the team in scoring as they have all tournament long to make a difference for the Raiders on the court. McBride played exceptionally well, getting two of three Northwest Florida’s three-point buckets and several mid-range jumpers to make the difference for the Raiders on the evening.
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The Bucs had a hard time shooting the ball through the third quarter but stayed within a dozen points thanks to great rebounding.
Ghosts from last year appeared on the court at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Raiders found themselves with the same lead they had over Hutchinson in the 2024 title game.
The quarter began poorly for the Raiders – the Bucs took advantage of the mental footsteps the team had in its collective mind before Bart Walker Called a timeout on the floor. Nevaeh Scott took a shot afterward to make it double digits again.
But Shelton State Didn’t quit.
They would make a series of three-pointers down the stretch to make it a two-possession game with just three minutes left.
They’d up the pressure and get a couple of turnovers to make it a heart-palpitating couple of minutes for the team. With two minutes left, Shelton State came alive – like they did in their last two games. Shelton State made it to the final after two single-point wins.
Ultimately, the calm personalities on the Raiders squad prevailed, giving Northwest Florida the win.
