Northwest Florida Hosts SGTC to Close Non-Conference Play

NICEVILLE, Fla. — After nearly a month away from Raider Arena, Northwest Florida State men's basketball returns home Saturday afternoon to open the new year, hosting South Georgia Tech in the final non-conference game of the season.

The Raiders enter the matchup riding a seven-game winning streak, highlighted by a pair of victories earlier this week in Panama City over Polk State (106-85) and Reid State (95-80). Saturday's contest provides Northwest Florida one last tune-up before turning its full attention to the Panhandle Conference, which begins Jan. 10 with a road trip to Tallahassee.

Ranked No. 5 in the latest NJCAA National Poll, the Raiders will look to extend their streak to eight straight and carry momentum into what promises to be one of the most competitive conference races in recent memory.

The Matchup

Saturday's game between Northwest Florida and South Georgia Tech is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (CST) at Raider Arena in Niceville.

It marks the Raiders' first home game since Dec. 2, when they defeated Southern Union. South Georgia Tech enters the contest with a 4-7 record but has won three of its last five games, including an 88-81 victory over Region VIII foe Eastern Florida. The Jets have also shown they can compete at a high level, dropping single-digit losses to ranked Panhandle Conference opponents Tallahassee and Chipola.

Where to Watch

Fans can stream Saturday's game live on NWFRaider.com by visiting the Watch Live section or clicking HERE.

Halfway Home

Northwest Florida has navigated non-conference play with confidence, suffering its lone loss to defending national champion and current No. 4 Trinity Valley back in November. Outside of that setback, the Raiders have been nearly flawless.

Offensively, Northwest Florida ranks among the nation's most dangerous teams, sitting third nationally in total points (1,484), 37th in scoring average (87.3), 17th in field goals made per game (33.2), seventh in field goal percentage (53.1) and 22nd in three-point shooting (37.4). The Raiders have eclipsed the 100-point mark six times this season and scored 90 or more points in nine games. According to Massey Ratings, Northwest Florida owns the nation's 24th-ranked offense and sits third overall in JUCO metrics rankings.

Hard to Burn

With one of the team's top scorers sidelined, Justin Burns has elevated his play, leading the Raiders in scoring over the past eight games and pacing the team on the glass for the season. Burns is averaging 14.6 points per game on a team-best 70.6% shooting—fifth nationally—while pulling down 8.0 rebounds per game, ranking eighth in the country. He has recorded three double-doubles and has grabbed six or more rebounds in 15 of his 17 appearances.

The Romanator

The Raiders' lone returner, Braylon Roman, continues to be a steady force. Roman is averaging 13.4 points per game on 53.3% shooting while leading the team with 5.1 assists per game, sixth nationally. He has scored in double figures in 12 of his last 13 games, topped 20 points three times, and recorded two games with double-digit assists. Roman also contributes defensively, averaging 1.5 steals per game with six multi-steal performances.

On the Horizon

Despite playing a top-50 strength of schedule per Massey Ratings, the road ahead becomes even more challenging. For the first time, all five Panhandle Conference teams are ranked inside the NJCAA Top 25, with three—No. 5 Northwest Florida, No. 6 Gulf Coast and No. 7 Chipola—sitting in the Top 10.

The Raiders open conference play at No. 15 Tallahassee on Jan. 10 before hosting No. 24 Pensacola on Jan. 17. They then travel to No. 6 Gulf Coast on Jan. 21 before returning home to face No. 7 Chipola on Jan. 24 and No. 15 Tallahassee on Jan. 28—all before February arrives.

With only two teams guaranteed spots in the conference tournament, every possession will matter in what shapes up to be the toughest Panhandle Conference race to date.