Raiders Drop Second Straight, Losing to Monroe 78-63

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Northwest Florida State men's basketball suffered its second straight loss on Saturday in New York, falling to Monroe College 78-63.

The first half was tightly contested, with both teams trading blows and heading into halftime tied at 32. The Raiders shot 43% from the field, while the Mustangs were close behind at 42%. Northwest Florida relied heavily on points in the paint, while Monroe capitalized at the free-throw line, shooting a perfect 8-for-8 in the opening half.

The game shifted dramatically in the second half. Monroe started strong with a 15-5 run, hitting over 50% of their shots and building a double-digit lead. During this stretch, the Raiders struggled offensively, making only two field goals and committing four turnovers. The Mustangs' efficient offense, shooting nearly 60% in the second half, proved too much for the Raiders to handle. Turnovers continued to plague Northwest Florida, costing them valuable possessions and thwarting any potential comeback attempts.

Monroe executed their game plan to near perfection, stifling the Raiders' athletic scorers and maintaining control throughout the second half. All five Mustang starters scored in double figures, leading to a dominant 15-point victory.

The Raiders' season record now stands at 4-2 after losing both games in New York this weekend. This marks the first time they've dropped back-to-back games since the 2022-23 season when they experienced two such stretches. The silver lining for the Raiders is that the 2022-23 team rebounded from those setbacks to reach the National Championship, coming within one possession of securing another title.

KEY PERFORMERS

• The Raiders were led by Nathan Ojukwu (12 points), Kauan Raymundo (11 points), and Josh Hayes (10 points). Ojukwu and Hayes have scored in double figures in four games this season, while Raymundo has done so in two. 
• All five Mustang starters scored in double figures, with Ryan Williams leading the game with 20 points on an efficient 7-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-5 from three. He also contributed eight rebounds and four steals to a standout performance.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Monroe shot 49% from the field, outperforming the Raiders' 42%. 
• The Mustangs excelled at drawing fouls and converting free throws, hitting 22 of 27 attempts (85%) compared to the Raiders' 14 of 22 (64%). 
• Monroe held a slight rebounding advantage, grabbing 34 boards to the Raiders' 27. 
• Both teams combined for 44 turnovers, with Northwest Florida committing 23 and Monroe 21. 
• The Mustangs dominated the game, leading for 83% of the time, while the Raiders led just twice for 4% of the game. 

UP NEXT

The road ahead remains challenging for the Raiders. They travel on Thursday to face Bishop State, which boasts a 3-1 start to their season. Following that, the team heads to Pensacola for two of their toughest matchups yet. On November 26, they'll face #4-ranked Trinity Valley, led by former head coach Greg Heiar. The next day, they'll take on another top-ten opponent, #9-ranked Panola, before returning home the following week.