Raiders Cruise to Victory in Conference Opener, Defeat Tallahassee 76-32

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Northwest Florida State women's basketball opened Panhandle Conference play in commanding fashion, securing a 44-point victory over Tallahassee State to improve their conference record to 1-0 and their overall record to a perfect 17-0.

The Raiders set the tone early, holding the Eagles to just 10 points in the first half while putting up 43 of their own. Tallahassee State managed only four points in the opening quarter and six in the second, shooting just 17.4% from the field in the first half. Meanwhile, the Raiders scored 22 points in the first quarter and 21 in the second, finishing the game with a 46.3% shooting clip.

Neveah Scott was unstoppable, scoring 12 points in the first half and finishing with a game-high 19. Ka'Zahria Johnson also shined in the opening half, tallying 10 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Defensively, the Raiders were relentless, forcing turnovers and capitalizing in transition. They scored 15 points on fast breaks and 20 points off Eagle turnovers in the first half alone.

The second half followed a similar script. While the Eagles found more scoring opportunities in the third quarter, many of their points came from free throws, while the Raiders continued to dominate inside. By the end of the third quarter, Northwest Florida extended their lead to 62-23.

In the final quarter, the Raiders got their bench involved while holding the Eagles to just nine points on 22.2% shooting. Northwest Florida outscored Tallahassee by five in the final frame, securing a decisive 76-32 win to remain undefeated at 17-0.

PERFORMANCES & STATS OF NOTE

• The Raiders shot 46.4% as a team, including 36.4% from three-point range, hitting four shots from beyond the arc.
• Neveah Scott led the team with 19 points, a season-high seven rebounds, and two steals.
• Kyla McBride and Mekhia Chase also contributed strong performances, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.
• The Raiders dominated inside, scoring 52 of their 76 points in the paint.
• They capitalized on turnovers, converting 33 points off turnovers and adding 24 points in transition.
• Northwest Florida posted positive margins across key categories: rebounds (+14), assists (+13), steals (+6), and blocks (+3). They also committed 12 fewer turnovers than the Eagles, who finished with 27.

UP NEXT

The Raiders will enjoy a week off before returning to action on January 18 at 2:00 p.m., when they travel to Pensacola for their second game of the early conference schedule. The team won't play at home again until January 22, when they host Gulf Coast.