Northwest Florida Holds Off Miami Dade to Reach FCSAA Semifinals

NICEVILLE, Fla. — March basketball rarely comes easy, and that proved true for Northwest Florida State on Wednesday night. The Raiders battled through a tightly contested game and held off eighth-seed Miami Dade for a 64–61 win, advancing to the semifinals of the FCSAA Basketball Championships at Raider Arena.

Northwest Florida struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm for much of the night, as Miami Dade's defense pressured the Raiders' shooters throughout the game. The Raiders finished the night shooting 38.6 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from three-point range, both below their season averages.

Despite the shooting struggles, Northwest Florida found ways to grind out the win. DJ Shine led the Raiders with 18 points, though he made just four field goals, with nine of his points coming at the free-throw line. Justin Burns delivered another strong performance inside, recording a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. His work on the glass helped the Raiders control the rebounding battle, 36–27, including a 13–5 advantage on the offensive boards that proved critical in the final result.

The game was close from the opening tip. Braylon Roman scored the Raiders' first basket, while Jonas Nichols connected on a three-pointer to help Northwest Florida grab an early edge. Miami Dade answered midway through the first half with a run fueled by Anthony Breland and Leeroy Nijean, taking a 24–17 lead.

The Raiders slowly worked their way back. Nichols hit another three, Burns added a basket in the paint, and a three-pointer from Damarion Vann-Kelly trimmed the deficit. Northwest Florida then closed the half on a 12–0 run to seize control. Second-chance points from Burns and Jeiminson Marquez sparked the surge, and Marquez buried a three just before the buzzer to give the Raiders a 36–30 lead at halftime.

Northwest Florida carried that momentum into the second half. Roman brought the crowd to its feet with a powerful dunk, and a three from D'Eric Barber pushed the lead to six. The Raiders stretched the advantage to seven at one point as Burns and Christian Reid added key baskets inside.

Miami Dade refused to go away. Breland continued to pace the Sharks offensively, and a three-pointer from Randy Smith cut the deficit to two with just over a minute to play.

The Raiders stayed composed in the closing moments. Roman knocked down a pair of free throws to extend the lead, and Shine sealed the victory at the line in the final seconds as Northwest Florida held on for the three-point win.

With the victory, the Raiders advance to Friday's semifinal at 3:00 p.m., where they will face the No. 4 seed Chipola. The Indians defeated Florida SouthWestern earlier tonight 68-53 to set up the matchup.

Northwest Florida won two of the three meetings between the teams during the regular season, with both Raider victories coming in Niceville. Friday's contest will mark the fourth meeting between the programs in the last five FCSAA tournaments, with Chipola holding a 2–1 edge in those postseason matchups.

The winner will advance to Saturday's championship game at 2 p.m., with an automatic berth to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas on the line.