Hill’s Heroics Propel Raiders: Northwest Florida Dominates #2 Panola with Explosive Second Half

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Following a tough loss to #3 Trinity Valley, Northwest Florida State men's basketball rebounded in style, defeating #2 Panola College 77-60 behind a second-half offensive surge led by freshman Davion Hill, who topped all scorers with 27 points.

The first half was a tightly contested battle, with neither team able to find its rhythm offensively. The Raiders finished the half with 26 points, shooting 37% from the field (10-of-27) and 33% from three-point range (3-of-9). Meanwhile, the Ponies edged out a narrow three-point lead at the break, shooting 44% from the field (11-of-25) and 43% from beyond the arc (3-of-7). Hill led all scorers at halftime with 10 points, going 4-of-5 from the floor and a perfect 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.

The second half, however, was a completely different story. Panola maintained their slim advantage early in the half, but the momentum shifted dramatically when Northwest Florida unleashed a 17-2 run over a five minute span.

The surge began with several strong finishes in the post and was punctuated by an and-one layup from Hill, which gave the Raiders their first lead of the game at 40-39. The Raiders then amped up their defensive intensity and maintained a relentless offensive pace, extending their lead to nine points (50-41) with 11:12 remaining.

Northwest Florida further widened the gap when Curtis Williams knocked down a corner three, pushing the lead to 58-48 with under eight minutes to play. From there, the Raiders continued to dominate, with Hill's standout performance sealing the victory.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Raiders secured a commanding 77-60 win, improving to 6-3 on the season and 1-1 in Pensacola.

KEY PERFORMERS

• Davion Hill Led all scorers with 27 points, adding three rebounds and two steals.
• Dwayne Pierce followed with 13 points, five rebounds, three assist, and two steals.
• Tyrese Melo-Garcia led the Raiders in rebounding with seven boards.
• Panlola had four players in double-figures including Thurmon (16), Tessema (11), Torain (11), Worsham (10).

NUMERS OF NOTE

• The Raiders shot an impressive 49% from the field overall, including a scorching 60% in the second half.
• Northwest Florida showcased one of their best performances from beyond the arc, hitting 7-of-18 threes for a 39% success rate.
• Panola held a slight edge on the boards, outrebounding the Raiders 27-26.
• Northwest Florida forced 16 turnovers from Panola, with ten coming in the second half, while committing just nine turnovers themselves—only two after halftime.
• The Raiders dominated the second half, outscoring the Ponies 51-31.
• Over their last two games, Northwest Florida has outscored opponents 96-64 in second-half play.

UP NEXT

The Raiders will take a week off before returning to action. Their next game is set for December 3 at 7:00 p.m. against Southern Union, marking their first home appearance in nearly a month. After that, Northwest Florida will embark on a six-game road trip, with their next home game scheduled for January 4, 2025, at Raider Arena.