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Raider Basketball Hosts Gulf Coast Wednesday in Pivotal Conference Matchups
Posted: Feb 25, 2025

Raider Basketball Hosts Gulf Coast Wednesday in Pivotal Conference Matchups

 

WOMEN

#3 Northwest Florida State (23-2, 7-2) vs. #10 Gulf Coast (20-4, 6-3)

February 26, 2025 | 5:15 p.m. CST | Niceville, FL

MEN

Northwest Florida State (18-8, 4-5) vs. #15 Gulf Coast (20-7, 7-3)

February 26, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. CST | Niceville, FL

 

Live Stream: https://nwfraiders.com/multimedia/WATCH_LIVE

 

NICEVILLE, Fla. — Northwest Florida State's men's and women's basketball teams return home Wednesday for a crucial conference showdown against Gulf Coast State. The women tip off at 5:15 p.m., followed by the men at 7:30 p.m.

Both Raider squads are looking to bounce back after tough road losses to Pensacola over the weekend. The women fell 69-66, marking just their second loss of the season and in conference play. Despite the setback, they dropped just one spot in the national poll to #3 and remain tied for first place in the Panhandle standings alongside Chipola.

The men, however, find themselves in a challenging position after a 68-63 loss, dropping them below .500 in conference play once again. To keep postseason hopes alive, the Raiders will need to either win out and get help from Chipola, or defeat Gulf Coast twice while getting assistance from Pensacola this Saturday.

As for Gulf Coast, the women have already secured a spot in the FCSAA tournament and are coming off a win over Tallahassee. They'll be looking to avenge their earlier loss to the Raiders and improve their seeding.

On the men's side, the Commodores are the hottest team in the Panhandle, riding a five-game winning streak that has them sitting in second place, just one game behind Chipola. Gulf Coast is on the verge of making the postseason for the first time in years but will need to secure at least one win over Northwest Florida State in their final two matchups to solidify their spot.

The Raiders and Commodores will meet again next Monday in a makeup game for their previously postponed January matchup due to the winter storm.

  

STATE TOURNAMENT PASSES ON SALE!!

  • Fans can now purchase passes for this year's FCSAA State Tournament, taking place March 12-15 at Raider Arena in Niceville. Passes will be available for $40 each (cash/check only) in the Raider Arena breezeway at all remaining home basketball games. You can also purchase your passes online by clicking HERE

 

FASTBREAKS (WOMEN)

  • Northwest Florida State women's basketball fell one spot to No. 3 in the latest NJCAA Poll after losing to Pensacola 69-66 over the weekend. The Raiders still remain in a tie for first place with Chipola who moved to No. 1 in the National Poll.
  • Both the Raiders and Commodores have already clinched their spots in the upcoming FCSAA State Basketball tournament taking place at Raider Arena March 12, 14 and 15.
  • The last meeting between the Raiders and Commodores took place on Feb. 8 in Panama City where the Raiders stormed to a 76-52 victory after a strong offensive performance which saw four Raiders reach double-figures scoring numbers.
  • Mekhia Chase (12.7 PPG), Nevaeh Scott (11.0 PPG), and Deborah Davenport (9.6PPG) lead the Raiders in scoring. For the Commodores, De Oliviera (13.4), Alisha Murray (12.7), Clara Doulibaly (12.5), Ja'Navia Gage (12.2) pace their team in scoring.
  • Chase has been the Raiders' most efficient shooter, converting 55.1% of her attempts—ranking 24th nationally—while Scott has been lethal from beyond the arc, knocking down 46.7% of her three-point attempts, the ninth-best mark in the country.
  • Northwest Florida continues to showcase its dominance as one of the nation's most well-rounded teams. The Raiders rank 11th in field goal percentage (45.7%), 18th in three-point percentage (33.2%) sixth in blocks per game (5.0), fourth in points allowed per game (46.3), and fifth in opponent field goal percentage (31.0%).

 

FASTBREAKS (MEN)

  • The Raiders dropped out of the latest NJCAA Poll this week after falling to Pensacola over the weekend. The Commodores jumped up to #15 following their five-game win streak which included a pair of wins over Chipola and Tallahassee last week.
  • The last meeting between the Raiders and commodores took place on Feb. 8 in Panama City where the Commodores dominated with a 76-50 victory over the Raiders.
  • The Raiders are led in scoring by Davion Hill (14.5 PPG) and Dwayne Pierce (12.2). The Commodores are led in scoring by Christian Harmon (16.3 PPG), Turman Claytor (12.5 PPG) and Brycen Blaine (10.7 PPG).
  • Despite holding a 4-5 record and sitting in fourth place in conference play, the Raiders still control their own destiny. If they win out, they will still secure a spot in the post season with a second or third place finish in the conference. If the Raiders secure the two spot, they will get an automatic bid to the FCSAA State Tournament. If they finish in the third spot, they will travel to a neutral site for a play-in game against the sixth placed team in the Citrus Conference for the final spot in the tournament.