Raiders Edge SW Mississippi to Stay Perfect at 14-0

SUMMIT, Miss. – Northwest Florida State women's basketball notched their 14th win of the season on Tuesday afternoon with a hard-fought 55-48 road victory over Southwest Mississippi.

The game featured plenty of back-and-forth action, with multiple ties and lead changes. The Raiders didn't secure their first lead until the 4:30 mark of the first quarter, taking an 8-6 advantage over the Bears.

Building on that momentum, Northwest Florida dominated the second quarter, outscoring Southwest Mississippi 17-8 to take a 10-point lead into halftime. Ka'Zahria Johnson led the way at the break with 10 points, while Mekhia Chase added six.

Turnovers and struggles on the boards allowed the Bears to hang around, as the Raiders' first-half shooting percentage of 44.4% gave them a solid cushion. However, the offense sputtered in the third quarter, where they managed just eight points, opening the door for Southwest Mississippi's resurgence.

The Bears erased a 12-point deficit in the third quarter, briefly taking a one-point lead over the Raiders. Northwest Florida responded quickly to reclaim the advantage but held only a slim 38-37 lead heading into the final period.

In the final frame, the Raiders leaned on their veterans to steady the ship. Mekhia Chase delivered several clutch layups, finishing with a game-high 16 points. Nevaeh Scott chipped in three key baskets, including the team's only three-pointer of the game, to help seal the win.

Alongside Chase's standout performance, freshman Ka'Zahria Johnson was the only other Raider to score in double figures. Scott contributed nine points, while Chase Corporan added eight, and Deborah Davenport chipped in with four. Chase and Corporan each added eight points. Deborah Davenport also added four.

NUMBERS OF NOTE:

• Northwest Florida improves to 14-0 on the season, including a perfect 6-0 at home and 8-0 on the road.
• The Raiders have now won 34 consecutive non-conference games, a streak dating back to their 2022 National Championship season. Their last regular-season non-conference loss came on December 2, 2022, against Eastern Florida State.
• Over the last six seasons, Northwest Florida boasts an impressive 48-9 record in true road games.
• The Raiders have held each of their last six opponents under 50 points and 10 of their 14 opponents below this mark.
• Mekhia Chase continues to pace the Raiders offensively, averaging 11.9 points per game. She added another strong performance today, finishing with 16 points.

NEXT GAME

Northwest Florida will return to action just before the new year with a home game against Southern Union on December 30 at 3:00 p.m. The Raiders will kick off the new year with back-to-back road matchups against Northwest Mississippi and Andrew before hosting Tallahassee State on January 11 to begin Panhandle Conference play.