FORT MYERS, FLA.- Tina Stephens and Shondell Vickers dominated the paint Sunday night for Florida SouthWestern State as the 12th ranked Bucs ran past Miami Dade 100-80 to improve to 8-2 on the year and close out the 2018 Florida Juco Shootout in Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
It was a slow start for both sides in the back side of a two game in two night swing for the two. The score was just 3-3 three minutes in and 7-7 midway through the first quarter as the two teams felt each other out.
Miami Dade took a 9-7 lead with a bucket following a timeout, but it seemed to have woke the Bucs up, as they went on a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to take a 14-9 lead they would never relinquish.
FSW added seven more before the first period horn, taking a 21-12 lead after 10 minutes of play.
The Bucs continued to click as the second quarter got underway as Janira Collier found Tina Stephens open at the top of the key for a three to push their lead to 30-14.
A slow stretch from there allowed the Sharks to inch back into the contest at 35-27 with four minutes to go in the half and that would be the spread heading into the break as the two played even for the final four minutes to make it a 45-37 game at the half.
FSW shot 40% in the first half, led by 16 first half points from Stephens and 10 from Shondell Vickers off the bench.
The Bucs started the second half sloppy with a pair of bad turnovers that didn't exactly impress Head Coach Kristie Ward. She called a quick timeout and whatever she relayed during the 30 seconds hit home as FSW went on a 6-0 run to push their lead back to double digits and carried an 11 point advantage into the fourth at 70-59.
Early in the fourth quarter the Bucs tied their largest lead of the game at 14 and a Kiara Felder three from deep stretched it to 17 at 76-59.
Miami Dade made one last push, but it wasn't enough as the Bucs flexed their muscles once more and hung a 30 spot in the quarter to finish off a 100-80 victory as they hit the century mark for the second straight night.
Stephens scored a game high 27 points in the win while Vickers pitched in 21 off the bench, her highest output since opening night. Simone Lett combined with the two in a dominating effort in the paint as she finished with a matching 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucs in the win.
FSW improves to 8-2 with the win while Miami Dade falls to 3-5 on the year.
The 12th ranked Bucs will have the week to enjoy the win before returning to action on Friday in a rematch against the Sharks in a 7 PM tip at Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
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For the latest news on FSW Athletics, log on to FSWBucs.com or stay connected to the Bucs on social media. Follow the Buccaneers on Twitter @FSWBucs, on Instagram @FSWBucs, on Facebook at Facebook.com/FSWBucs and on Snapchat at BucsSnaps.
WATCH THE BUCS ONLINE
All of FSW's home games will be available online through FSW Livestream (FSW.edu/livestream), and can be viewed on smartphones, tablets and laptop or desktop computers.
SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION ARENA
The Buccaneers compete in the brand new Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Suncoast Credit Union Arena is approximately 75,000 square feet and is home to the FSW basketball teams and a student athletic center. The arena seats approximately 3,300 fans and includes six skyboxes, a hospitality event center, competition courts that convert into recreational courts, athletic office space, student, faculty and staff wellness, and an athletic center with a fitness pavilion, men's and women's locker rooms and a weight training area. The arena has two Daktronics displays, on the north and south walls, that each measure 10 feet high by 20 feet wide. Both displays incorporate variable content zoning to each show one large image or they can be divided into multiple windows to show any variety of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages. One-hundred feet of ribbon displays have been installed on the east and west walls of the arena. The ribbons provide the opportunity to supplement the content on the main displays as well as highlight sponsors throughout events.