PANAMA CITY, Fla. — No. 5 Northwest Florida State women’s basketball secured a gritty win Friday night, knocking off Mineral Area 63-47 to improve to 6-1 on the season while handing the Cardinals their first loss.
The teams battled evenly through the opening quarter, heading into the break tied at 16. But the Raiders found their stride in the second frame, using a 19-8 surge to build a 35-24 halftime advantage. Northwest Florida carried that momentum throughout the second half, outscoring the Cardinals 12-8 in the third and 16-15 in the fourth to lock in the 16-point victory.
Khoudia Diagne once again set the tone, delivering a dominant 20-point performance along with seven rebounds, a steal, and a block. It marked her second straight game with 20+ points. Auarora Toyomasu joined her in double figures with 10 points on efficient 3-of-5 shooting, while Ka’Zahria Johnson added nine points and matched Diagne with seven boards. Carrington Jones chipped in seven points and orchestrated the offense well, posting a season-high six assists.
As a unit, the Raiders shot an impressive 54.5 percent from the field (24-44). While they struggled from beyond the arc (3-11, 27.3%), they compensated with solid interior play and a 12-of-19 effort at the free-throw line. Rebounding was nearly even, with Northwest Florida edging Mineral Area 31-30.
Defensively, the Raiders held the Cardinals to just 36 percent shooting (18-50) and 21.1 percent from deep (4-19). The game featured four lead changes and five ties, with Northwest Florida’s biggest advantage—a 26-point margin (61-35)—coming in the fourth quarter. Their largest run was a dominant 17-3 stretch in the second quarter.
UP NEXT
The Raiders remain in Panama City for a Saturday noon matchup against Central Georgia Tech. The Titans enter the contest after a 108-79 loss to No. 4 Gulf Coast State. Northwest Florida will look to secure its seventh win of the season.
