FORT MYERS, Fla.- Aaliyah Williams scored a career high 21 points, but it wasn't enough as the #17 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers fell 60-56 to the #6 College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles Saturday night at Suncoast Arena in Fort Myers for their first loss of the 2022-2023 season. 

 

The Bucs got off to a slow start, managing just a single field goal through the first four minutes of the contest as CSI got out to a 6-2 early advantage. The Golden Eagles pushed their lead to six before the media timeout and hit a late three to make it 17-8 at the end of one quarter of action.  

 

The Bucs deificit quickly grew to 13 early in the second, but they battled back with a 9-0 run powered by Aaliyah Williams to get back to within four at 23-19 with 3:16 left in the period.  CSI recovered, getting 6 of the final 8 points of the quarter to take a 29-21 lead as the teams headed into the break at half. 

 

CSI pushed their lead back to double digits early in the third, but three straight buckets on the inside from Jayla Murray and Aaliyah Williams got the Bucs back to within five at 35-30 midway through the quarter. Back to back drive and scores from Macarena Retamales drew FSW to within one before a late free throw from CSI made it a two point game at 43-41 as the third came to a close.  

 

The intensity rose as the fourth quarter got underway and three minutes into the period the Bucs knotted the score up at 48 as Violette Skipworth hit a cutting Retamales to draw the Bucs even. The Bucs went cold from there, failing to score over the next three minutes a CSI pushed their lead back to nine at 57-48 with 4:15 to go in the contest.  The Bucs got back to within five with a minute to go, but couldn't get over the hump as the Golden Eagles finished them off 60-56 to hand FSW their first loss of the 2022-2023 season.  

 

Points were at a premium for both sides as FSW shot just 37% overall and 19% from three while holding CSI to just 34% shooting from the field in the contest.  Williams scored a game and career high 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting while playing all 40 minutes in the defeat. Retamales finished with 19 while Murray Chipped in 12.  The rest of the Bucs lineup managed just four points combined on 2 of 12 shooting. 

 

FSW drops their first of the year to fall to 3-1 while CSI remains unbeaten at 4-0. 

 

The Bucs wrap up the Bucs Club Classic on Sunday at noon when they host Pensacola State in their final game of the weekend.