#13 Chipola Battles at #4 Northwest Florida State , Falls 81–71

Chipola College traveled to Raider Arena Saturday to take on Northwest Florida State in a tough road matchup, ultimately falling 81–71 despite a strong second-half push.

Northwest Florida came out firing in the opening half, using hot perimeter shooting to build a 48–33 lead at the break. The Raiders knocked down timely threes and capitalized on early momentum to control the tempo through the first 20 minutes.

Chipola responded with better energy in the second half, outscoring NWF 38–33. The Indians attacked the paint consistently, finishing with 46 points in the paint and 16 fast-break points. Chipola also received a major boost from its bench, which accounted for 41 points compared to just five from Northwest Florida's reserves.

Aaron Richard led Chipola with 16 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting night, while Peyton Wiggins added 11 points and Bryson Berry chipped in 8. Hedrens Bartelus was active on the glass, pulling down 9 rebounds. 

Despite the strong interior play and second-half surge, Northwest Florida's three-point shooting proved to be the difference. The Raiders connected on 13 triples, including several key shots late, to maintain control and seal the win.

Chipola now turns its attention to the road ahead, as the Indians prepare to face #16 Pensacola State on Wednesday at 7:30 PM in Pensacola, FL.