Raiders Looking to Make it Three Straight Against Gulf Coast Saturday

Game #21

#6 Northwest Florida State (19-2) at Gulf Coast (16-5)

January 27, 2024 | 4:00 PM (CST) | Panama City, Fla.

Links: Live Stream

TIP OFF

On Saturday, Northwest Florida State men's basketball will hit the road for a clash against Gulf Coast in Panama City. The Raiders aim to clinch their third consecutive victory, propelling them to a 3-1 record in Panhandle Conference play while preserving their perfect road record of 8-0.

Gulf Coast enters the upcoming matchup with a 16-5 overall record and a 2-1 conference standing. The Commodores secured an overtime triumph against Tallahassee on Wednesday, prevailing 88-86 and avoiding a second consecutive loss following their defeat to Chipola (76-72) the previous week.

In recent history, the Raiders have dominated the head-to-head matchups against the Commodores, winning seven of their last nine encounters, including six consecutive victories against their conference rivals. Gulf Coast's most recent triumph over NWF dates back to March 2021 when the Commodores secured a 67-63 victory in Niceville.

LAST TIME OUT

The Raiders secured their 19^th win of the season on Wednesday after defeating Pensacola, 64-57. Despite nearly losing their 16-point lead in the second half, after the Pirates shot at a 51.6% clip in the final 20 minutes, the Raiders persevered and emerged with a hard-fought seven-point victory. This marked their eighth consecutive win over the Pirates on the season and second straight conference win.

In a well-balanced scoring effort, four Raiders reached double figures in the contest. Jamal Sumlin and Tajuan Simpkins combined to contribute 30 points, with Simpkins achieving his first career double-double by securing ten rebounds. RaSheed Jones delivered a solid performance with 12 points, including three triples, along with a pair of blocks and steals. Karahan Efeoglu added 11 points and six boards to his stat sheet, while Jadyn Shider recorded his ninth double-figure rebounding performance of the season with 10 boards.

RAIDERS' STATISTICAL LEADERS

PTS/G: Tajuan Simpkins (14.6)

FG%: Jadyn Shider (68.0%)

3FG%: Tajuan Simpkins (38.7%)

REB/G: Jadyn Shider (8.3)

AST/G: Jamal Sumlin (3.3)

STL/G: Tajuan Simpkins (1.8)

BLK/G: Tavion Banks (0.8)

PANHANDLE CONFERENCE STANDINGS

For complete coverage of Northwest Florida State Athletics, visit nwfraiders.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Northwest Florida Raiders), Instagram (@nwfraiders) and X (@NWFRaiders)

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