Second-Half Turnovers Plague Raiders In Loss to Falcons as NWF Drops First Bout of the Season

NICEVILLE, Florida – Northwest Florida State men's basketball suffered their inaugural loss of the season on Tuesday night against No. 10 Daytona State following a closely contested battle between two of the nation's premier teams.

Tajuan Simpkins emerged as the leading scorer for the Raiders in the game, contributing 21 points, including three successful shots from beyond the arc. Tavion Banks and Jadyn Shider had commendable performances, collectively amassing 23 points and 14 rebounds across scoring and rebounding categories. RaSheed Jones concluded the game with 13 points, making three triples of his own.

The game unfolded as a seesaw battle throughout the night, with both teams trading leads in the early part of the first half and neither managing to establish a clear advantage. Despite being outshot by the Falcons from the field at 48.4% to 35.0%, the Raiders carried a one-point lead into the halftime break.

In the second half, NWF shot exceptionally well, hitting an impressive 64.0% from the field. However, turnovers proved to be the Raiders' downfall in the latter half, as they surrendered possession 12 times compared to the mere two turnovers the team had in the first half.

The combination of turnovers and Daytona State's proficiency in scoring on the fast break resulted in the Raiders trailing in the late stages of the game. Ultimately, the Raiders deficit proved to be too much to overcome as the Falcons walk out of Raiders Arena with a six-point victory over the Raiders.

FIRST HALF

• After missing their first two shot attempts, the Raiders connected on their next four shots, propelling them to a 9-5 lead.
• The Falcons buried a three immediately after a media timeout, giving them a narrow one-point lead with 14:26 remaining in the half.
• Just over 10 minutes into the first half, Karahan Efeoglu hit a triple from the wing, leveling the game at 19 apiece.
• Efeoglu later hit another three, granting the Raiders a two-point lead. However, Daytona State swiftly responded with a three, taking a 32-31 lead with 4:25 left in the first half.
• As the first half approached its end, both teams continued to exchange blows, but the Raiders managed to hold off the Falcons, securing a slim 39-38 lead at halftime.

SECOND HALF

• The Falcons opened the second half with a layup and a three, regaining the lead with a four-point cushion.
• RaSheed Jones and Tajuan Simpkins responded with a layup and a three, reclaiming a one-point advantage.
• Daytona State hit another three with 17:31 on the clock, taking a 46-44 lead.
• RaSheed Jones countered with a triple from the wing, narrowing the deficit to one.
• However, the Falcons embarked on a 10-2 run over the next four minutes, establishing a double-digit lead for the first time.
• Back-to-back threes by Jones and Banks trimmed the deficit to four, but turnovers hindered the Raiders from mounting a comeback.
• Tajuan Simpkins hit a couple of threes down the stretch, bringing the deficit to one at one point. Nevertheless, the Falcons capitalized on Raiders' turnovers, securing the 85-79 victory.

UP NEXT

The Raiders aim to recover on December 3 as they travel to Melbourne, FL to take on Hillsborough College at 11:00 a.m. (CST). Following this, they will return home on December 8-9 for back-to-back games against Copiah-Lincoln and Eastern Florida.

For complete coverage of Northwest Florida State Athletics, visit nwfraiders.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Northwest Florida Raiders), Instagram (@nwfraiders) and X (@NWFRaiders)

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