FORT MYERS, Fla. — No. 1 Northwest Florida State women’s basketball saw its perfect start come to an end Wednesday night, falling in a late thriller to No. 18 Florida SouthWestern to move to 5–1 on the season.
The Raiders trailed for the majority of the contest and didn’t take their first lead until the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. After finally grabbing momentum and building a four-point advantage with 2:47 remaining, Northwest Florida went cold down the stretch. Florida SouthWestern closed the game on a decisive run, reclaiming the lead in the final minute and holding the Raiders scoreless for the remainder of regulation to seal the upset.
Khoudia Diagne delivered another standout performance, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal. Niylia Wilkins added 12 points and two boards, but the Raiders struggled to find consistent scoring elsewhere—only five of the seven players who saw action recorded points.
Northwest Florida shot an efficient 50% from the floor (22–44), but the long-range struggles proved costly, connecting on just 2-of-13 attempts from beyond the arc (15.4%). The Raiders won the rebounding battle 29–25 but were hurt by 14 turnovers compared to the Bucs’ 10. Florida SouthWestern shot 39.1% from the field (18–46) and 33.3% from three (7–21), using timely perimeter makes to fuel their comeback.
FIRST HALF
The Bucs opened the first quarter with early defensive pressure and quick scoring, jumping out to a 5–0 lead behind a three from Rannon Suttle. The Raiders struggled to find rhythm offensively, missing multiple early layups while the Bucs controlled the glass. Destinie Gordon and Damia Worthy fueled FSW’s run with second-chance points and steady drives, extending the margin to 10–2. Northwest Florida finally responded with back-to-back layups from Khoudia Diagne, but turnovers became an issue, allowing FSW to capitalize in transition. Worthy closed the quarter strong with a three and a driving layup, helping the Bucs take a 17–8 advantage into the second.
In the second quarter, the Raiders began to settle in. Ka’Zahria Johnson sparked the offense with a strong finish inside, but FSW consistently answered, highlighted by another jumper from Worthy and a three from Kiara Harris that pushed the lead to 22–10. The Raiders chipped away with paint touches from Carrington Jones and Diagne, and defensive stands kept them within reach. A mid-quarter scoring burst brought Northwest Florida as close as four, 24–20, but FSW’s Chelsea Bishop countered with a key layup. Despite several missed opportunities in the final minute, the Bucs held a 26–21 lead at halftime.
SECOND HALF
The Raiders came out energized in the third quarter. Jones converted an early and-one to cut the deficit to two, and moments later Diagne tied the game from the free-throw line. FSW responded with perimeter shooting, including an Arielle Marc three to regain control. Worthy added another deep shot, stretching the lead to 35–30. The Raiders, however, stayed resilient—Nyylia Wilkins drilled back-to-back threes to trim the gap. In the final minute, Diagne powered through for a layup, pulling NWF within one at 39–38 entering the fourth.
The fourth quarter opened with Diagne tying the game at the line, but FSW quickly answered behind Harris’ wing three to reclaim the lead. Jones again slashed to the rim to keep the Raiders close, and Diagne continued dominating inside, converting a three-point play to pull NWF within one at 45–44. A transition layup from Jadah White gave Northwest Florida its first lead of the game, 46–45, setting the stage for a tightly contested finish as momentum finally shifted toward the Raiders.
The Raiders quickly extended their lead to 52-48 with back-to-back makes from Diagne and Wilkins. However, the Bucs swiftly answered with a three to cut their deficit to one, and took the lead with a inside layup in the final minute of the game. Northwest Florida had an opportunity to win it at the buzzer, the shot missed long and secured the upset victory for the Bucs.
UP NEXT
The Raiders will be back in action next weekend for another classic in Panama City, Fla. where they will play Mineral Area (Nov. 21) and Central Georgia Tech (Nov. 22). From there, they will have one more road spat in Pensacola, taking on Easten Florida (Nov. 28) and St. Petersburg (Nov. 29) before returning home on Dec. 5 and 6 for another Raider Classic.
