Northwest Florida Faces Mineral Area, Central Georgia Tech in Panama City Classic

NICEVILLE, Fla. — No. 5 Northwest Florida State women's basketball returns to action this weekend with a pair of neutral-site matchups in Panama City. The Raiders open the weekend Friday at 5:30 p.m. against Mineral Area before facing Central Georgia Tech on Saturday at noon.

Northwest Florida is looking to bounce back after a narrow 53–52 loss to No. 18 Florida Southwestern, marking the team's first setback of the season and moving their record to 5–1. The defeat also dropped the Raiders four spots in the NJCAA National Poll, from No. 1 to No. 5. They'll aim to regain momentum with two opportunities this weekend.

The Matchups

Friday: The 5–1 Raiders will face the 4–1 Cardinals at 5:30 p.m. (CST) in Panama City. Mineral Area enters on a two-game winning streak over Triton College and John A. Logan, with their lone loss coming Nov. 11 to Southwestern Illinois.

Saturday: Northwest Florida will square off with Central Georgia Tech at Noon (CST). The titans come into the weekend undefeated at 4-0 after beating Denmark Tech twice, Chattahoochee Valley, and Brenau (JV).

Where to Watch

Fans can stream all games on the Gulf Coast State Athletics website by clicking HERE.

Raider Ranks

Northwest Florida has been dominant on both ends of the court, averaging 77.7 points per game—32nd nationally—while holding opponents to 46.2 points per game, the sixth-lowest mark in the country.

The Raiders also lead the nation in field goal percentage (54.7%), rank 14th in three-point percentage, and average 18.5 assists per game, good for 14th nationally.

New Kids on the Block

With only four returners from last year's roster, this season's squad features a strong wave of newcomers who have quickly made their mark.

• Niylia Wilkins (Pensacola native, Trinity Valley transfer) leads the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game.
• Freshmen Khoudia Diagne and Jadah White have been equally impactful. Diagne averages 14.5 points and a team-best 10.0 rebounds, while leading in steals (2.5) and field goal percentage (63.5%).
• White contributes 12.4 points per game and continues to be a consistent offensive option.
• Aurora Toyomasu has been elite from long range, hitting 50.0% of her three-pointers—16th best in the nation.