Raiders Fall to 4-5 in Panhandle Play After Losing To Pensacola 68-63

PENSCOLA, Fla. — Northwest Florida State men's basketball dropped a crucial matchup against Pensacola State on Saturday, falling 68-63 and slipping below .500 in conference play once again.

The Raiders found themselves in an early hole as Pensacola took a 10-9 lead in the opening minutes. While Northwest Florida struggled with multiple scoring droughts, the Pirates were hot from beyond the arc, draining several threes in the first half.

With 7:44 remaining in the opening frame, Pensacola extended its lead to 25-15 after another deep shot. The Raiders worked to chip away at the deficit, but the Pirates consistently had an answer, maintaining a double-digit lead heading into halftime, 39-27.

Coming out of the break, Northwest Florida looked to gain momentum with a few quick buckets inside. However, back-to-back threes from Pensacola halted the Raiders' progress, keeping the Pirates in control with a 49-36 advantage.

With under 12 minutes to play, the Raiders' offense came alive. A pair of three-pointers from Nathan Ojukwu trimmed the deficit to four, and by the 7:54 mark, the Pirates' once 15-point lead had dwindled to just two.

Pensacola responded with key defensive stops, pushing its advantage back to eight. With 3:28 left, Davion Hill knocked down two free throws, followed by a forced turnover on the inbound by Ojukwu, setting up a crafty up-and-under layup from Tyrese Melo-Garcia to cut the gap back to four.

Despite the momentum swinging in Northwest Florida's favor, the Raiders couldn't get the stops they needed down the stretch. The Pirates remained poised in the final possessions, capitalizing on key fouls and securing the 68-63 victory.

Postgame Notes

• Dwayne Pierce led the Raiders with 20 points, while Davion Hill contributed 15.
• Northwest Florida shot 40.2% (21-52) from the field and 40.0% (10-25) from three, but Pensacola was more efficient, shooting 56.4% (22-39) overall and 53.8% (7-13) from beyond the arc.
• The Pirates made the most of their trips to the line, going 17-26, while the Raiders finished 11-18.
• Pensacola held a slight edge on the boards, 26-23.
• Both teams were close in ball control, with the Raiders committing 11 turnovers compared to the Pirates' 13.