Cold Second Half Dooms Raiders in Loss to No. 12 Tallahassee State

NICEVILLE, Fla. — No. 3 Northwest Florida men's basketball couldn't overcome a tough second half Saturday night, falling 82–69 to No. 12 Tallahassee State after being outscored 51–32 over the final 20 minutes.

The Raiders looked sharp early, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field in the first half and controlling the tempo with energy on both ends. That momentum stalled after the break, as Northwest Florida struggled to find rhythm offensively while Tallahassee State caught fire, shooting 68 percent as a team in the second half — a similar trend to the teams' first meeting earlier this month.

The Raiders opened the game with energy on both ends, using rim protection and active hands to control the early tempo. Northwest Florida scored the game's first points on a Justin Burns layup and built an early advantage behind interior finishes from Burns and Johnny Pierce, along with strong defensive possessions that included multiple blocks from Jonas Nichols and Damarion Vann-Kelly.

After Tallahassee State briefly grabbed the lead midway through the first half, Northwest Florida responded with timely shooting and second-chance opportunities. A three from Braylon Roman and strong work on the offensive glass helped the Raiders regain control, and a late triple from Hassan Dorman capped a solid first half that sent Northwest Florida into the break leading 37–31.

Tallahassee State flipped the momentum early in the second half. The Eagles opened the period with a run fueled by turnovers and transition baskets, quickly reclaiming the lead. Despite multiple ties and lead changes — including a Roman dunk and continued interior scoring from Pierce and Burns — Tallahassee State consistently answered with key baskets to keep the Raiders from regaining control.

Northwest Florida stayed within striking distance for much of the half, cutting the deficit to as few as four on several occasions, including a Nichols three with just under 10 minutes to play. However, Tallahassee State pulled away down the stretch by capitalizing at the free-throw line and converting second-chance points, extending the margin to double digits in the final minutes.

Braylon Roman led the Raiders with 15 points, followed by Dorman with 14 and Nichols with 12. Burns added 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals in a strong all-around effort.

As a team, Northwest Florida shot 46.0 percent from the field but struggled from deep (22.7 percent) and at the free-throw line (46.2 percent). The Raiders were also outrebounded by 17.

Northwest Florida will look to bounce back Wednesday when it travels to Pensacola State. The Raiders won the first meeting two weeks ago in an overtime thriller and will aim to make it two straight against the Pirates.