Raiders Clinch Outright Conference Title with 76-53 Win Over No. 8 Chipola

NICEVILLE, Fla. — In one of their most complete performances of the season, Northwest Florida State women's basketball rolled past No. 8 Chipola, 76-53, on Saturday to secure the Panhandle Conference Championship outright and likely claim the No. 1 seed in the upcoming FCSAA Tournament.

Freshman standout Khoudia Diagne delivered a career night, pouring in a career-high 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting while adding six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. Jadah White was equally efficient, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and grabbing a career-high seven rebounds to go along with two steals. Kayla Williams added 10 points, five rebounds, a steal, and a block in a strong all-around effort.

The Raiders set the tone early. After Carrington Jones opened the scoring with a layup, Northwest Florida seized control midway through the first quarter. With the score tied at 6-6, White drilled a go-ahead three-pointer, and Diagne followed with a triple of her own to ignite a decisive run. The Raiders closed the opening period on a 10-0 surge, highlighted by back-to-back threes from White and interior finishes from Diagne, to take a 23-10 lead into the second quarter.

The momentum continued in the second as Northwest Florida extended the advantage with an 18-0 run. Diagne converted an and-one to stretch the lead to 26-10, while White remained hot from beyond the arc, pushing the margin to 29-10. The Raiders' defense was just as dominant, forcing turnovers and limiting Chipola to one shot on multiple possessions. A 13-2 stretch midway through the quarter expanded the lead to 36-14, and Northwest Florida carried a commanding 40-23 advantage into halftime.

Chipola opened the third quarter with consecutive three-pointers to trim the deficit to 40-29, but the Raiders quickly answered. White connected from deep, Jones added a transition layup, and Diagne continued to dominate in the paint to rebuild the cushion. Northwest Florida led 55-39 heading into the final period.

Any remaining doubt was erased in the fourth. Diagne knocked down back-to-back three-pointers and completed another three-point play to extend the lead to 66-44. White and Jones added key baskets during a 14-2 run that pushed the margin to 70-46. With the outcome decided, the Raiders closed out a convincing 76-53 victory.

Northwest Florida now turns its attention to the FCSAA Tournament, where it has likely secured the No. 1 seed. Tournament pairings will be announced Wednesday afternoon, with the Raiders set to open quarterfinal play on March 12.