Raiders Pull Away in Middle Quarters to Advance in FCSAA Tourney

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Top-seed Northwest Florida outscored No. 6 Eastern Florida 40-20 during the second and third quarters to pull out a 67-50 victory and advance to the semifinals of the FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament on Wednesday.

The Raiders (20-1) trailed by four, 24-20, in the second quarter when sophomore Laura Taylor checked in the game. By the time she subbed out five minutes later, NWF had built a 13-point advantage.

Taylor knocked down three 3-pointers over the course of three minutes and finished the game 4-for-4 from beyond the arc to end with 12 points.

Northwest Florida fell behind early despite shooting 58.3 percent (7-12) in the first quarter but used constant pressure defensively to force 23 turnovers leading to 31 points.

The Raiders shot 45.5 percent in the contest and outrebounded Eastern Florida 39-20.

Chanaya Pinto led NWF with 15 points and 11 rebounds, her ninth double-double of the season. Masengo Mutando went 5-for-10 from the field to add 14 points, while Shelbee Brown added six points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Northwest Florida will take on the winner of the Florida SouthWestern/Gulf Coast game on Friday at 3 p.m.

For more information on Northwest Florida State Athletics, visit NWFRaiders.com or follow the team on Twitter at @NWFRaiders.