Raiders Travel to Panama City Wednesday for Pair of Top 10 Matchups
NICEVILLE, Fla. — The spirit is good once again for both Northwest Florida men's and women's basketball after the pair of teams secured their first conference win of the season, making up for their opening losses the week prior at Tallahassee.
Northwest Florida women used a strong fourth quarter Saturday to pull away from Pensacola, handedly beating them 65-49. Northwest Florida men took a tougher rout, needing overtime to beat No. 22 Pensacola, but found a way to secure the 73-69 OT victory.
Now both sides gear up for another pair of tough road matchups, heading to Panama City to face a pair of top 10 teams— Raider women's basketball takes on No. 6 Gulf Coast State while the men face off against the No. 4 ranked Commodores.
Game Information
January 21, 2026
Location: Panama City, FL | Billy Harrison Fieldhouse
Live Stream Link
- Women (5:15 p.m.)
No. 4 Northwest Florida (15-2, 1-1) vs. No. 9 Gulf Coast (13-2 1-1)
- Men (7:30 p.m.)
No. 4 Northwest Florida (18-2, 1-1) vs. No. 6 Gulf Coast (18-2, 1-1)
Women's Game Notes
Last Week: No. 5 Northwest Florida women's basketball earned its first Panhandle Conference win of the season on Saturday, pulling away for a 65–49 victory over Pensacola State. The win improved the Raiders to 15–2 overall and 1–1 in conference play. Northwest Florida took control in the fourth quarter, using an 11–0 run to build a double-digit lead and put the game away. Carrington Jones led all scorers with 19 points, while Jadah White added 15 and Khoudia Diagne and Niylia Wilkins chipped in 11 points apiece.
This Week:
Northwest Florida State returns to the road this week for another demanding Panhandle Conference test, traveling to face No. 9 Gulf Coast on Wednesday. The Raiders will then return home Saturday for another marquee showdown, hosting No. 1 Chipola in Raider Arena.
The Opponent:
After opening conference play with a loss to No. 2 Chipola, Gulf Coast rebounded last weekend to earn its first Panhandle win with an 88–82 overtime victory over Tallahassee. The Commodores have been strong throughout the season, suffering just two losses overall.
Under head coach Rory Kuhn, Gulf Coast features one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, leading the country in scoring at 96.1 points per game. The Commodores also rank third nationally in field goals made (34.8 per game), 10th in three-pointers made (8.1), and 17th in field goal percentage (44.9).
The offense is paced by sophomore forward Arianny Francisco De Oliveira, who ranks second nationally in scoring at 23.6 points per game while also pulling down 9.6 rebounds per contest. Myla Benton (15.5 ppg) and Yasmine Allen are the only other Commodores averaging double figures on the season.
By the Numbers:
Northwest Florida boasts one of the nation's elite defenses, allowing just 45.7 points per game — the second-lowest mark in the country. The Raiders also hold opponents to 33.5 percent shooting, ranking 23rd nationally. Offensively, Northwest Florida has been just as effective, averaging 77.1 points per game (25th nationally) while ranking top 10 in both field goal percentage (2nd, 52.2%) and three-point percentage (9th, 35.6%).
Khoudia Diagne:
Freshman Khoudia Diagne has been Northwest Florida's most complete performer this season, leading the team in scoring (15.9 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg), and blocks (1.2 bpg). Diagne has scored in double figures in 16 games, including six outings with 20 or more points.
Jadah White:
Another freshman standout, Jadah White has been red-hot offensively, averaging 16.5 points over her last four games. Her recent surge has helped lift her season average to 12.6 points per game, while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range.
Kamryn Corporan:
Corporan continues to be a key playmaker on both ends of the floor, leading the Raiders with 5.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game.
Men's Game Notes
Last Week:
Northwest Florida State earned its first Panhandle Conference win of the season Saturday, defeating No. 22 Pensacola 73–69 in overtime. The victory improved the Raiders to 18–2 overall and 1–1 in conference play.
This Week:
The Raiders face another challenging week, traveling to Panama City on Wednesday to take on No. 4 Gulf Coast before returning home Saturday to host No. 13 Chipola.
The Opponent:
Gulf Coast has been among the nation's elite teams throughout the season, spending much of the year ranked inside the top 10. The Commodores opened conference play with an impressive road win at No. 13 Chipola before falling to No. 10 Tallahassee on Saturday, leaving them 1–1 in Panhandle action. The loss marked just the second on Gulf Coast's résumé, with the other coming against No. 3 Daytona State in November.
The Commodores feature one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 87.8 points per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the field. Their attack is led by a dynamic backcourt trio of Trent Lincoln (19.9 ppg), Devontes Cobbs (14.6 ppg), and Traevon Koch (11.8 ppg). Gulf Coast ranks ninth nationally in three-pointers made per game (10.3) and 10th in attempts (30.9).
By the Numbers:
Northwest Florida has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the NJCAA, averaging 85.5 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting (6th nationally) and 37.9 percent from three-point range (16th). The Raiders have eclipsed the 100-point mark six times this season and scored 90 or more in 10 games. Northwest Florida has also thrived in close contests, posting a 7–1 record in games decided by fewer than 10 points, including a perfect 2–0 mark in overtime.
Return of Shine:
Leading scorer DJ Shine returned to action last week after missing 10 games due to injury and made an immediate impact, scoring 12 points with three rebounds and a steal. Shine is averaging 17.9 points per game on the season.
Braylon Roman:
The Raiders' lone returner from last season, Braylon Roman remains a central figure in the offense. He ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game and leads the Raiders in assists (5.2) and steals (1.2) while shooting 52.3 percent from the field.
Justin Burns:
Sophomore transfer Justin Burns has been a steady force in the paint, averaging 13.9 points per game and leading the team with 8.0 rebounds per contest. Burns has scored in double figures in all but three games this season and has recorded seven or more rebounds in 16 games.