Raiders Back Home Monday for Matchup Against Southwest Mississippi

NICEVILLE, Fla. — After an impressive weekend sweep over Lawson State (94–43) and Miami Dade (85–53), the No. 1-ranked Northwest Florida State women's basketball team is back in action Monday night, hosting Southwest Mississippi at 5:00 p.m. inside Raider Arena.

The Raiders are off to a perfect 3–0 start to begin the season and will look to extend their streak to 4–0 before heading out on a six-game road stretch. The Bears, meanwhile, enter at 1–0 after a dominant 88–44 win over Blue Mountain JV in their season opener.

Firing on All Cylinders

Through three games, the Raiders have looked every bit like the top-ranked team in the nation. Offensively, they're averaging 90 points per game while shooting an ultra-efficient 63.2% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range.

Nationally, Northwest Florida ranks third in field goals made per game (36.0), second in field goal percentage, seventh in three-point percentage, and 10th in points per game.

On the defensive end, the Raiders have been just as dominant—holding opponents to 43.7 points per game (ninth nationally) on 29.3% shooting and just 13.1% from beyond the arc, good for eighth-best in the country.

New Kids on the Block

This year's roster features a wave of new faces, with only four returners from last season's squad. Despite that turnover, the newcomers have stepped up in a big way early on.

Pensacola native Niylia Wilkins, a transfer from Trinity Valley (TX), leads the team with 16.6 points per game. Freshman Jadah White isn't far behind, averaging 16.0 points per game through her first two contests. Another freshman, Khoudia Diagne, has been a force inside, averaging 13.0 points on a team-leading 73.9% shooting, while also leading the team with 9.3 rebounds per game.

Protecting the Fort

The Raiders have turned Raider Arena into one of the toughest places to play in the country. They've won 17 straight regular-season home games, dating back to last season, and are an astounding 35–5 at home over the past four years. Under head coach Bart Walker, Northwest Florida has posted a 92–10 home record, a testament to their consistency and dominance in Niceville.

2024 Rematch

When these two teams met last season in Summit, Mississippi, the Raiders escaped with a hard-fought 55–48 victory despite offensive struggles. Former Raider Mekhia Chase led all scorers with 16 points, while current Raider Ka'Zahria Johnson chipped in 10 points, four rebounds, and two blocks in the win.

The Road Ahead

After Monday's matchup, the Raiders won't return home for nearly a month. Their next six games will come on the road or at neutral sites, beginning with a trip to Fort Myers (Nov. 14–15) for the FSW Classic, where they'll face Hillsborough and No. 12 Florida SouthWestern.

They'll then travel to Panama City (Nov. 21–22) for another classic against Mineral Area and Central Georgia Tech, before wrapping up the month at the Pensacola Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 28–29) with matchups against Eastern Florida and St. Petersburg.