Northwest Florida Falls at No. 14 Tallahassee in Conference Opener

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — No. 5 Northwest Florida State men's basketball saw a 10-point halftime lead slip away Saturday afternoon, falling 66-59 to No. 14 Tallahassee State in the Panhandle Conference opener at the Bill Hebrock Eagledome. The loss drops the Raiders to 17-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

Northwest Florida controlled the first half on both ends of the floor, finding consistent scoring while limiting Tallahassee to just 20.7 percent shooting. The Raiders also did an excellent job defending Eagles leading scorer Shane Cherry, holding him to 1-of-8 shooting before the break, and carried a double-digit advantage into halftime.

Momentum swung quickly after intermission. Cherry knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to open the second half, igniting the Eagles' comeback and shifting the energy inside the Eagledome. Tallahassee outscored Northwest Florida 46-29 over the final 20 minutes, shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) from beyond the arc in the second half alone.

Rebounding proved decisive after halftime, as the Eagles held a 23-12 edge on the glass in the second half, creating extra possessions that fueled their rally. Cherry finished with 25 points, scoring 19 of them after the break.

Braylon Roman led the Raiders offensively, pouring in a team-high 20 points while adding five rebounds. Justin Burns also reached double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds, continuing his steady presence inside.

First Half

The Raiders scored the first four points of the game and quickly forced Tallahassee State into a string of empty possessions. Justin Burns established an early presence inside, while Braylon Roman pushed the tempo to help Northwest Florida jump out to a 10-4 advantage.

Midway through the opening half, the Raiders strung together an 8-0 run sparked by consecutive stops on defense and transition baskets. Northwest Florida held Tallahassee without a field goal for nearly five minutes during the stretch, building its largest lead of the half at 18-8. The Eagles struggled to find rhythm, shooting under 25 percent from the floor, while the Raiders continued to control the glass and limit second-chance opportunities.

Tallahassee briefly found life late in the half with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer, but Northwest Florida responded immediately. Roman knocked down a jumper, and Burns finished through contact to push the lead back to double digits. The Raiders carried a 30-20 advantage into halftime, having held the Eagles to one of their lowest-scoring halves of the season.

Second Half

Momentum swung quickly after the break. Tallahassee opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers, cutting the deficit to four in less than two minutes and forcing a Raider timeout. The Eagles fed off the energy, using offensive rebounds and quick ball movement to take their first lead of the game midway through the half.

The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, with Roman and De'Erick Barber providing timely answers for Northwest Florida. However, Tallahassee continued to build momentum behind hot perimeter shooting and a strong presence on the boards, putting together a decisive run that stretched the lead to two possessions.

Northwest Florida made one final push late, as Damarion Vann-Kelly connected from deep in the closing seconds, but the early second-half run proved too much to overcome. Tallahassee's surge after halftime ultimately flipped the game, handing the Raiders a narrow loss in their conference opener.

Upcoming

Northwest Florida returns to action next Saturday at 4:00 p.m. with their conference home opener against Pensacola State. The Raiders are looking to bounce back and avoid going 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 2020.