Raiders Escape Late Rally, Hold Off Daytona 63–62

NICEVILLE, Fla. — No. 3 Northwest Florida State women's basketball held on late Saturday afternoon, escaping with a 63-62 win over Daytona State after a tense final stretch.

The Raiders appeared in full control early, building a 13-point advantage at the half, and led by as much as 16 in the second half. But a surge from the Falcons, fueled in part by 16 Raider turnovers after the break, turned the game on its head. Daytona State eventually grabbed the lead inside the final four minutes and held it until Niylia Wilkins calmly sank two free throws with 17 seconds remaining. Northwest Florida followed with a pair of defensive stops to lock down the win.

Khoudia Diagne continued her dominant stretch, scoring 20 points for the third straight game to lead the Raiders. Wilkins finished with 12 points and added nine rebounds in a strong two-way performance.

Despite the shaky second half, Northwest Florida still won the shooting battle, finishing at 44.7 percent from the field while holding Daytona State to 37.1 percent. The Raiders also capitalized at the foul line, hitting 16 of 19 attempts (84.2%), their best free-throw percentage of the season.

The victory also extends Northwest Florida State's home winning streak to 19-games. The Raiders last lost at home (not including state tournament—not official home games) came on February 17, 2024, against Chipola.

First Half

The opening minutes were a grind, as both teams traded turnovers and missed shots before finding their rhythm. Daytona struck first with a layup from Hogans, but the Raiders answered with back-to-back layups from Kamryn Corporan and Carrington Jones to take a 4–2 lead. Northwest Florida's defense set the tone early, forcing multiple turnovers, including blocks by Khoudia Diagne, who became a major factor throughout the night.

After a brief Daytona surge on a 3-pointer from Styles, the Raiders responded with a 6–0 run powered by layups from Diagne and Ka'Zahria Johnson to go ahead 10–5. The Raiders continued to control the paint, holding Daytona to just nine first-quarter points and closing the period up 16–9 following free throws from Diagne and Wilkins.

The Raiders pushed the lead wider in the second quarter. Jadah White buried a three early to spark a stretch where the Raiders scored efficiently in transition. Diagne, White and Wilkins all finished at the rim, and Northwest Florida went on a 13–4 run to take a 29–15 advantage. Daytona had brief answers, including a three from MacKinnon, but the Raiders' depth and ball movement were too much. Jones added a late layup, sending Northwest Florida into halftime up 34–21.

Second Half

Northwest Florida entered the second half with a double-digit cushion, but Daytona State quickly shifted the momentum through defensive pressure and transition scoring. The Falcons strung together stops early, forcing multiple Raider turnovers while capitalizing in the paint with layups from Hogans and Styles. After Wilkins buried a three to push the lead to 16, Daytona responded with its most efficient stretch of the game, scoring on three straight possessions and trimming the deficit back to single digits.

Northwest Florida briefly steadied the game behind key plays from Jones and Diagne, including a layup-and-one sequence and Harz's corner three to stretch the margin to 15 again at the four-minute mark of the third. But the turnovers continued to pile up. Daytona converted on miscues, scoring in transition and living off offensive rebounds to stay within reach.

The fourth quarter became a battle of runs. After a Diagne three made it 54–41, Daytona erupted on a 15–2 surge. A deep three from Styles and a driving finish by Vidal tied the game at 56 with 4:13 left. From there, the lead flipped several times as both teams struggled to finish possessions. Daytona briefly surged ahead 62–56 behind Williams inside, before Wilkins answered with a layup and free throw.

The final minute hinged on effort around the rim. Wilkins missed inside twice but secured back-to-back offensive rebounds, drawing a foul with 17-seconds remaining and calmly sinking both shots to put the Raiders back on top. Northwest Florida closed the final sequence with a defensive stand, escaping despite a flurry of turnovers and a late scoring push.

Up Next

Northwest Florida will have some time to rest before suiting up again. The Raiders next game is scheduled for December 16 at home against Community Christian College of Georgia. From there, the Raiders will have more time off for the holidays before returning to action on January 5 to face East Georgia on the road. That will be the Raiders' last non-conference game before the start of Panhandle play on January 10 when both men and women teams head to Tallahassee.