Northwest Florida Opens NJCAA Tournament Thursday Afternoon Against Hutchinson

LAKE CHARLES, La. — Northwest Florida State women's basketball begins its 2026 national title defense Thursday afternoon, taking on Hutchinson in the second round of the NJCAA Basketball Championship at the Townley Law Arena on the campus of McNeese State University.

Game Info

Matchup: (4) Northwest Florida vs. (13) Hutchinson

Date/Time: March 26, 2026 / 2:30 p.m. (CDT)

Location: Lake Charles, LA— Townley Law Arena "Legacy Center"

Event: NJCAA Basketball Championship Second Round

Stream: ESPN+

Bracket: Link

Road to Lake Charles

Northwest Florida put together another dominant regular season, finishing 24–4 overall and 10–2 in conference play to secure its eighth straight Panhandle Conference Championship. The Raiders entered the FCSAA (Region 8) Tournament as the No. 1 seed but were upset by No. 8 seed Eastern Florida, led by former assistant Zack Banks.

Despite the early exit, the Raiders' résumé was strong enough to earn an at-large bid, along with a No. 4 seed and a first-round bye heading into Lake Charles.

Defending the Throne

The Raiders enter the tournament as the reigning national champions after capturing the 2025 title in Casper, Wyoming with a 62–53 win over Shelton State. It marked their third national championship—and third in the last five seasons.

Now, Northwest Florida is chasing a fourth straight trip to the title game and looking to become the first program to repeat as champions since Gulf Coast accomplished the feat in 2016 and 2017.

At-Large Success

Being an at-large team is nothing new for Northwest Florida—and it's actually been a winning formula. All three of the program's national titles have come as an at-large selection:

• 2021: No. 5 seed
• 2023: No. 8 seed
• 2025: No. 3 seed

Each of those seasons followed a loss in the FCSAA Tournament, proving the Raiders know how to regroup and make a deep postseason run.

Familiar Foe

Northwest Florida and Hutchinson share recent history, most notably in the 2024 National Championship game. The Blue Dragons edged the Raiders in a dramatic finish, highlighted by a foul call with 2.3 seconds left that sent Hutchinson to the line for three free throws, forcing overtime. Hutchinson went on to secure the win and deny Northwest Florida a repeat title.

Scouting Hutchinson

While the memory of 2024 still lingers, this Hutchinson team looks much different. The Blue Dragons enter as a No. 13 seed after a 27–6 regular season and an at-large bid, following a loss to Butler in the Plains District Championship.

They opened tournament play with a 54–51 win over Williston State and rely heavily on defense and rebounding. Hutchinson averages just under 70 points per game, shooting 41.1% from the field and 30.2% from three-point range.

Rebounding is a major strength, as the Blue Dragons pull down 41 boards per game—ranking among the top teams in the nation.

Offensively, Hutchinson is led by guards Kamyra Barber and Katie Duncan, with forward Noelle Anthon also contributing as a consistent scoring threat. Barber, Anthon, and Kaia Smish lead the team on the glass, each averaging around six rebounds per game.