No. 1-ranked Northwest Florida State women’s basketball team continued its dominant start to the season Saturday night, rolling past Miami Dade 85-53 behind another balanced offensive performance that featured five players in double figures.
Jadah White led the way with 19 points and eight assists, following up her 13-point effort from Friday’s win. Koudia Diagne secured her first double-double of the season with 13 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals — one night after narrowly missing the mark.
Ka’Zahria Johnson added 12 points and nine rebounds, while Niylia Wilkins and Nafi Harz contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively, to round out the scoring attack.
The Raiders were sharp once again inside, shooting 63.6% from the field and scoring 50 of their 85 points in the paint. They also shot 36.8% from three but struggled at the line, converting just 32% of their free throws.
Despite committing more turnovers (25-19), Northwest Florida matched Miami Dade with 17 points off turnovers and limited the Sharks to just 31.3% shooting. The Raiders also controlled the boards, outrebounding Miami Dade 45-35 to remain unbeaten on the season.
FIRST HALF
Northwest Florida wasted no time setting the tone, scoring on their first three possessions to take an early 6–2 lead. The Raiders’ defense immediately tightened up, forcing turnovers and tough shots that led to easy transition opportunities. Jadah White got rolling midway through the first, burying her first three-pointer at the 5:50 mark to extend the lead to double digits (12–2).
Moments later, Ka’Zahria Johnson went to work inside, scoring back-to-back buckets to make it 19–4. Nafi Harz checked in with 2:27 to go in the quarter and made her presence known right away, converting a fastbreak layup. The Raiders continued to dominate the paint, and Kayla Williams capped the opening frame with a tip-in following a Niylia Wilkins three-point attempt, giving Northwest Florida a commanding 25–8 lead after one.
The Raiders kept the momentum rolling into the second quarter. White opened the frame with another triple, this time assisted by Harz. The ball movement remained crisp, and the Raiders’ unselfish play continued to create open looks. White hit again from the wing off a swing pass from Carrington Jones, pushing the advantage to 33–12. Harz then joined in from deep, connecting on a corner three in the closing minutes of the half. Northwest Florida closed the second quarter on a 13–4 run, taking full control of the game with a 46–23 lead heading into the locker room.
SECOND HALF
Miami Dade tried to find life early in the third with a pair of quick baskets off offensive rebounds, but the Raiders quickly responded. Carrington Jones scored in transition off another assist from Harz to put Northwest Florida back up by 27. The Raiders continued to work efficiently on both ends, attacking the rim while keeping the Sharks’ offense at bay. Jones later knocked down a mid-range jumper off an inbounds play to stretch the lead even further, and the Raiders’ bench provided valuable minutes to maintain the pace.
As the third quarter wound down, Wilkins drilled a three from the right wing to put the finishing touch on another dominant period. Northwest Florida closed the frame leading 69–40, setting the stage for a smooth finish in the final quarter as they cruised to another convincing victory at home.
UP NEXT
The Raiders have a quick turnaround as they will get set to face Southwest Mississippi Monday night (11/17) at 5:00 p.m. from Raider Arena. The Raiders will look to go 4-0 on the year while the bears look to move to 2-0.
