Top-ranked Northwest Florida State women’s basketball remained unstoppable Friday night, rolling past Lawson State 94-43 behind five players scoring in double figures — led by Aurora Toyomasu‘s game-high 17 points off the bench.
Toyomasu was electric from the floor, shooting 5-for-8 overall, 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. Right behind her was Khoudia Diagne, who posted 16 points and nine rebounds, coming just one board shy of her first career double double.
Niylia Wilkins continued her dominant start to the season, recording her first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, plus two steals. Jadah White made her debut and impressed with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Veteran Ka’Zahria Johnson rounded out the group of double-digit scorers, contributing 10 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in another strong all-around performance.
The Raiders were locked in on both ends of the floor, shooting an impressive 58.3% from the field and a scorching 53.3% from beyond the arc. They also controlled the glass with authority, outrebounding the Cougars 42-17 — including a dominant 10-1 edge on the offensive boards.
First Half
Northwest Florida came out firing, scoring on each of its first three possessions — including back-to-back threes from Jadah White to jump ahead 8-0. Aurora Toyomasu joined in on the action shortly after, drilling a triple to push the lead even further.
Khoudia Diagne kept the momentum rolling with a putback layup midway through the quarter, giving the Raiders an 11-point edge. Northwest Florida’s relentless interior pressure continued to wear down the Cougars, closing the first 10 minutes with a 25-12 advantage.
The second quarter was all Raiders. A 14-0 run fueled by Wilkins and Diagne quickly blew the game wide open. Lawson State momentarily stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer from Haynes, but the Raider offense remained unstoppable. Toyomasu buried her third three of the night just before halftime, sending the Raiders into the locker room up 56-18.
Second Half
The Raiders picked up right where they left off. Wilkins opened the half with a layup, followed by back-to-back triples from White and Toyomasu. From there, Northwest Florida dominated the paint, connecting on four straight inside looks.
Turnovers proved costly for Lawson State — the Raiders forced 25 in total, converting them into 32 points, including 20 in transition. The Cougars had no answer for the balanced attack as Northwest Florida cruised to a commanding 94-43 victory inside Raider Arena.
Up Next
The Raiders return to action Saturday at 5:00 p.m. against Region VIII opponent Miami Dade. The Sharks enter the matchup looking to bounce back after falling to Pensacola 71-61, while Northwest Florida looks to remain undefeated and improve to 3-0 on the young season.
