Posted: Jan 23, 2024
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers couldn't hold onto a 13 point second half lead Tuesday night on the road in Gainesville, falling 56-55 to Santa Fe to drop to 9-7 on the year.
The Bucs were clicking early on as a rare six point possession on a pair of three pointers from Ashley Lester gave them an early 12-7 lead and they held the lead to 16-13 at the end of one period of play.
They continued to control the pace in the second as a Makenna Shaffer finish on the inside put them up nine, but Santa Fe closed the half strong to get back to within five at 33-28 as the teams went to the locker rooms at the half.
It was all Bucs to start the second half as Kiana Wilson hit a jumper to make it 39-28 and a drive and score from Shaffer gave FSW their largest lead of the game at 13 with 3:00 to go in the third. Santa Fe found their footing and got back to within seven at 46-39 as the third quarter came to a close which seemed insignificant at the time, but would prove anything but that later on.
FSW couldn't buy a bucket as the fourth quarter got underway as Santa Fe scored the first nine points of the period to erase the Bucs lead and give the Saints their first lead since the first quarter at 48-46. The drought continued for the Bucs deep into the period as FSW didn't get their first points of the fourth until under 3:00 to go, but they managed to tie things up at 52 on a free throw from Shaffer with 1:43 remaining. Santa Fe scored twice in the final two minutes and the Bucs could only manage a three at the buzzer down by four as the game came to a close with the Saints shocking FSW 56-55 for their first win of 2024.
Lester led FSW with 16 in the loss while Wilson chipped in 12. No other stats were available at time of release.
FSW falls to 9-7 overall and 5-3 in Citrus Conference play with the defeat while Santa Fe wins for the first time since December 16th to improve to 7-8 overall and 3-5 in league play on the year.
The Bucs won't have long to lick their wounds as they go right back on the road Thursday when they make another long trip to Melbourne to square off with 15th ranked Eastern Florida State in a 5:30 PM tip from Titan Field House.