NICEVILLE, Fla. (March 11, 2023) - Eastern Florida State College claimed the FCSAA Women's Basketball Championship with a 49-48 win over Northwest Florida State College.

The win gave the Titans their first-ever FCSAA Women's Basketball Championship, but there was a second layer of historical significance to the win. 

It marked the first time since 1997 that a team from outside the Panhandle Conference hoisted the championship trophy. After the College of Central Florida (then known as Central Florida Community College) won the 1997 title, the Panhandle's 25-year reign began the following year when Gulf Coast State College won the first of its 13 FCSAA Championships. During that span, Chipola College (7), Northwest Florida State (2), Pensacola State College (2) and Tallahassee Community College (1) also won FCSAA Championships from the Panhandle. 

Saturday's finale was neck-and-neck from opening tip to the final horn. The host Raiders led 15-12 after one quarter but trailed, 24-23, at the intermission. Both teams scored 11 points in the third, sending Eastern Florida State to the final 10 minutes with a 35-34 lead. 

With 2:13 left in the game, Shadaria Smith's basket gave the Titans a 44-43 lead and they never trailed again. L'or Eyeba Mputu increased the lead to three with a bucket at the 1:12 mark, then converted a steal and layup with 35 seconds to seal the victory. 

Smith only had four points, including the go-ahead basket, plus five rebounds, five assists and three steals. 

Mputu and the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Leilani Guion, had 13 points each for Eastern Florida State. 

See the complete FCSAA All-Tournament Team

FCSAA Player of the Year Sakima Walker scored a game-high 20 points for Northwest Florida State. 

Eastern Florida State earned the No. 2 in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championships, to be held in Lubbock, Texas, March 22-27. 

Both Northwest Florida State (No. 8 seed) and Gulf Coast State (No. 11 seed) earned at-large bids in the 24-team field.