Raiders Travel to Wadley, AL for Thursday Tilt Against Southern Union

NICEVILLE, Fla. — No. 2 Northwest Florida State men's basketball returns to action Thursday night for a single road matchup against a familiar foe in Southern Union. This will mark the Raiders' second true road test of the season. Last weekend, the team traveled to Daytona, Fla., for the DSC Classic, where they knocked off No. 3 Daytona State in a 101-99 overtime thriller and followed it up with an 81-72 win over Hillsborough.

Now, the Raiders aim to secure their seventh victory of the season against a Bison squad they defeated just 20 days ago—this time on Southern Union's home floor.

The Matchup

Thursday's meeting will be the second of three matchups this season between the Raiders and Bison. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (CST) in Wadley, Ala.

Northwest Florida previously topped Southern Union 104-85 on opening night, powered by a breakout 32-point performance from leading scorer DJ Shine. Justin Burns contributed a dominant 15-point, 15-rebound double-double, while Braylon Roman added 14 points and three assists. Defensively, the Raiders held the Bison under 40.0% shooting while converting 62.0% of their own attempts.

Since leaving Niceville, Southern Union has experienced mixed results—dropping consecutive games to East Mississippi and Albany Tech before bouncing back with wins over Albany Tech and Chattahoochee Valley to move to 2-3 on the year.

Before facing Northwest Florida on Thursday, the Bison will host No. 11 Gulf Coast State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Where to Watch

Fans can stream Thursday's game by clicking here HERE.

Sizzling Start

Northwest Florida has delivered everything expected and more through its first six contests. The Raiders are off to a spotless 6-0 start, averaging 91.3 points per game and outscoring opponents by an impressive 19.5 points per outing.

Nationally, NWF ranks:

• 10th in field goal percentage (54.6)
• 4th in three-point percentage (46.0)
• 36th in assists per game (18.5)
• 34th in offensive efficiency (1.161)
• 22nd in net efficiency (0.253)
• 39th opponents field goal percentage (39.4)
• 8th in opponents three-point percentage (22.0)

After beginning the season ranked seventh in the preseason poll, the Raiders have improved their national ranking each week, including this past week when they jumped from six to two in the week-two poll.  

DJ Can Shine

DJ Shine has been nothing short of electric this season. The sophomore leads the Raiders in scoring with 20.8 points per game—third-best in the FCSAA and 26th nationally—while shooting a blistering 55.5% from the field and 61.5% from three — 24th nationally.

Shine has logged 20 or more points three times this season, including 32 in the season opener against Southern Union, 21 last Friday against No. 3 Daytona, and 23 last Saturday against Hillsborough.  

Hard to Burn

Justin Burns has anchored the Raiders' frontcourt with ability to score, defend, and rebound. The sophomore transfer ranks second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and steals (1.8) while leading NWF in field goal percentage (69.2%), rebounds (9.2) and blocks (0.8). He's scored double-digits in every game this season, while also securing seven or more rebounds and one steal in each game as well.

Roman It Down

The Raiders' lone returner, Braylon Roman, continues to be the steady engine behind the team's success. Roman in third in scoring with 12.0 points per game and leads NWF in assists (5.3), ranks third in steals (1.5), and still averages 3.0 rebounds per contest. Roman had a career game last Friday against No. 3 Daytona, totaling 23-points, seven assists, and two steals.