Raiders Make It Rain from Deep, Defeat Pensacola 87-66

NICEVILLE, Fla. — Northwest Florida State men's basketball kept its foot on the gas Saturday night, riding a strong first-half shooting performance to an 87–66 victory over Pensacola State at Raider Arena.

The Raiders were lights-out from beyond the arc, shooting 66.7 percent from three-point range and knocking down 14-of-21 attempts. Northwest Florida led by as many as 21 points and held Pensacola State to just 33 first-half points on the way to a comfortable win.

Jonas Nichols sparked the offense, finishing with 20 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting night while drilling four three-pointers. DJ Shine complemented him with 17 points, shooting 3-for-5 from deep and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. The duo combined for 37 of Northwest Florida's 87 points.

The Raiders also received strong contributions off the bench. Damarion Vann-Kelly provided a spark, scoring 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Hassan Dorman added eight points, while Zion Gross chipped in five late. Northwest Florida's bench dominated, outscoring Pensacola State's reserves 35–0.

Justin Burns filled the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, and five assists in 27 minutes without committing a turnover. Braylon Roman pulled down three rebounds and added a steal.

Northwest Florida jumped out to an early 18–15 lead behind the Shine–Nichols duo before a late first-half surge from the second unit. Fueled by Vann-Kelly and Dorman, the Raiders pushed the margin into double digits and carried a 49–33 advantage into the break. Northwest Florida shot a remarkable 90 percent from three-point range in the first half.

Pensacola State made a push after halftime behind Deven Bates, who finished with a game-high 29 points, but the Raiders answered every run to keep control of the game.

Northwest Florida took care of the ball down the stretch, committing just six turnovers compared to Pensacola State's 11, and outscored the Pirates 14–9 off turnovers. The Raiders also held a commanding 30–8 edge in second-chance points and outscored Pensacola State 30–20 in the paint.

Northwest Florida enters the final week of the regular season tied for second place with Chipola. The Raiders will close the regular season with a road matchup at Gulf Coast on Wednesday before returning home to face Chipola on Saturday. With Gulf Coast falling at Tallahassee State earlier Saturday, a Raiders win Wednesday would clinch a postseason berth.

Written By: Brody Baker