PENSACOLA, Fla. — No. 2 Northwest Florida State men’s basketball suffered its first defeat of the season Wednesday, falling 77–62 to No. 7 Trinity Valley in the finale of the Pensacola Thanksgiving Classic. The loss moves the Raiders to 9–1 on the year.
Northwest Florida hung tough early, trailing by just four at halftime, but offensive struggles and rebounding issues ultimately proved costly. Braylon Roman (20 points) and Justin Burns (15 points) were bright spots, yet the duo accounted for over half of the team’s scoring. The rest of the roster combined for only 27 points on 9-of-36 shooting (25%).
Trinity Valley, meanwhile, controlled the paint on both ends. The Cardinals shot 47.6% (30–63) from the floor, with 27 of their 30 field goals coming inside the arc. Five Cardinals scored in double figures, including four of their five starters, while the team also dominated the glass with an 11-rebound advantage (40–29).
First Half
The opening minutes featured fast-paced trading of baskets as both teams came out firing. Trinity Valley held a narrow 10–8 lead early, but Northwest Florida briefly grabbed momentum midway through the half. With 8:20 remaining, Domarion Vann-Kelley converted an and-one to give the Raiders their first lead.
The back-and-forth continued, and with just under five minutes left, the Raiders generated their strongest push of the half. Roman finished a transition layup, followed by a defensive stop and a fastbreak three by Vann-Kelley, giving NWF a 24–20 advantage and forcing a Cardinal timeout.
But Trinity Valley quickly responded out of the break, rattling off a 9–0 run as the Raiders went cold. Roman snapped the drought with a wing three, but the Cardinals carried a 31–27 lead into halftime.
Second Half
Trinity Valley opened the second half with a burst, stringing together several baskets while the Raiders struggled to find their rhythm. The Cardinals pushed the lead to 40–29 and later to 46–34 with just over 14 minutes left. Northwest Florida then mounted its strongest run of the game.
A Jonas Nichols three cut the gap to six, and moments later, Johnny Pierce hammered home a put-back dunk to make it 46–42 as NWF surged on a 10–0 run. But just as the Raiders appeared to be shifting momentum, Trinity Valley countered with a decisive response. The Cardinals exploded on a 17–4 run heading into the under-eight media timeout, stretching the lead to 63–46 and putting the Raiders in a deep hole.
Northwest Florida searched for one last spark, but Trinity Valley’s interior presence, rebounding, and physical defense kept the Raiders from mounting another comeback attempt.
Up Next
The Raiders return home on Tuesday, December 2, at 7 p.m. to face Southern Union for the third and final time this season. After the brief stop in Niceville, NWF begins a month-long stretch on the road, with upcoming games in Tallahassee and a series of classics in Panama City.
