Raiders Drop Close Battle to Harcum in New York, 80-77

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Northwest Florida State men's basketball dropped It's first contest of the 2024-25 season Friday afternoon with a three-point loss to Harcum at the Monroe Invitational in New York.

The games was back-and-forth for the entire 40 minutes, featuring 11 lead changes with neither team able to secure a comfortable edge. The Raiders largest lead came in the first half after they took a nine-point advantage with 6:47 left in the half.

However, that lead did not last very long as the Bears retook the lead minutes before the end of the first, but the Raiders prevailed and tied the game back up at 35 heading into the break.

The second half was just as back and forth as the first. The Raiders had a few opportunities to pull away, but couldn't hit the shots they needed to build momentum and a scoring run.

Free throws were the story of this contest. Each team combined to shoot 65 attempts from the charity stripe. Northwest Florida shot 22-30 from the line, while Harcum shot 27-35 for the game.

Both teams were under 40% shooting form the field for the game, however the Raiders did soot just under 40% from three. The rest of the box score was fairly even, aside from total rebounds, where the Raiders edged out the Bears 46-37.

Key Performances for the Raiders included Curtis Williams and Josh Hayes. Williams recorded 15 points and eight rebounds while Hayed recorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Davion Hill also had a solid game, scoring ten points with five rebounds.

For Harum, Bahsil Laster was dominate with a 30 point, 10 rebound double-double over 36 minutes of play. Dorian Nick Jones also performed will with 18 points, five rebounds, and six steals.

For the Raiders, this marks their first loss of the 2024-25 season. The Raiders overall record now moves to 4-1 as they look to rebound from today's loss with a win tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. against host school Monroe.

FIRST HALF

• Harcum College's Dorian Nick Jones scores the game's first points with a layup (19:27). Northwest Florida counters with a three-pointer by Curtis Williams (18:45), establishing an early back-and-forth dynamic.
• Dorian Nick Jones of Harcum forces multiple turnovers, capitalizing with a three-pointer by Zion Lott (17:34), and later another steal leading to a score.
• Northwest Florida's Nathan Ojukwu ties the game at 5-5 with successful free throws (17:13). Both teams start committing fouls, with Harcum converting free throws to stay competitive.
• Harcum pulls ahead 10-5 after Zion Lott's layup and Bahsil Laster's free throw (15:22), but Josh Hayes energizes Northwest Florida with a powerful dunk (14:58), narrowing the gap to 7-10.
• Northwest Florida ties the game at 10-10 through Dwayne Pierce's layup and free throw (13:54). Shortly after, Davion Hill's layup gives them their first lead at 12-10 (13:37).
• A jump shot from Dwayne Pierce and key free throws extend their lead to 18-12 (10:39), with Northwest Florida showing dominance on both offense and defense.
• Despite efforts by Harcum's Ademar de Oliveira Santos and others, Northwest Florida's Curtis Williams extends their lead further with a free throw (24-15 at 07:28).
• Cory Lovell sparks a small comeback for Harcum with a three-pointer (06:40) and a layup (05:37), reducing the deficit to 24-22, creating an exciting finish to the half.

SECOND HALF

• Northwest Florida's Josh Hayes scored the first basket of the half, giving his team a 37-35 lead. Harcum College's Zion Lott and Cyril Obasogie failed to capitalize on several offensive opportunities. 
• Harcum's Dorian Nick Jones hit a three-pointer and followed up with a layup, flipping the score to 40-37 in favor of Harcum at 16:59. 
• Harcum extended their lead to 43-37, driven by Laster's and-1 play at 16:35. Northwest Florida tried to respond but struggled to finish offensive plays.
• Both teams committed several turnovers, with Harcum's Jones making defensive plays and scoring consistently, while Northwest Florida capitalized on occasional steals. 
• Northwest Florida's Curtis Williams scored a pivotal three-pointer to cut the deficit to one (51-50), keeping the game close around the 10-minute mark.
• Northwest Florida regained the lead: After a back-and-forth scoring, Hayes and Pierce contributed key baskets, with Pierce hitting a three-pointer to push the score to 64-57 with 6:34 remaining.
• Bahsil Laster of Harcum hits a 3-pointer, followed by a missed layup by Dwayne Pierce from Northwest Florida State; Josh Hayes grabs the offensive rebound and dunks, making it 67-71.
• Down the stretch, the Raiders made multiple baskets, chipping into the bears lead, but Harcum continued to knock down free throws and made the necessary plays to keep the Raiders from taking a lead.