FORT MYERS, Fla.- On a night that celebrated the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers' three sophomores playing their final home games in Suncoast Credit Union Arena, it was the Bucs freshmen that stole the show Monday night as Ivy Brown posted a 17 point, 11 rebound double-double and Roksana Sajdak scored a career high 16 as FSW pushed late to defeat Daytona State 78-66 and head to next week's FCSAA State Tournament in Niceville with a win. 

 

Playing with their season on the line, it was the Falcons that got off to the better start, jumping out to a 9-5 lead four minutes into the contest. A jumper from Roksana Sajdak tied the game at 11 with 3:07 to go in the first and the teams traded baskets until a late bucket for Daytona put the Falcons up 20-17 after one quarter of action. 

 

Daytona got the first six points of the second quarter to force an FSW timeout and the stoppage woke the Bucs up as five straight from Sarah Owona got them to within two and a 10 footer by Sajdak at the halftime horn leveled the score at 35 after 20 back and forth minutes of action. 

 

Ivy Brown scored the Bucs first four points of the third quarter and Federica Lagana picked off a pass and took it the other way for two to give FSW a 41-37 lead early in the second half. The Bucs and Falcons continued to trade blows as a midrange jumper from Georgi Buzzetti made it 53-50 FSW with under three minutes to go in the quarter before five straight from the Falcons put them back up by two just a minute later. Two straight finishes by Sajdak followed by a three from Ashley Lester gave FSW the final seven points of the third quarter and gave the Bucs a 60-55 lead as the teams went to the fourth. 

 

Another triple from Lester followed by a tough two on the inside from Brown gave the Bucs their first 10 point lead of the game early in the fourth.  Daytona got back to within six before Owona nailed a three with 4:05 to go to cushion the lead back to 71-62 and the Falcons never threatened again. A pair of late free throws from Kiana Wilson put the Bucs up a dozen and they went on to win it by that margin, 78-66 to head into the postseason with some confidence and subsequently end the Falcons season in the process. 

 

Brown posted her second straight double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Sajdak scored a career high 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting. 

 

The Bucs move to 16-13 on the season with the victory while closing out Citrus Conference play at 12-9, good for 4^th place.  Daytona State sees their season come to an end as they fall to 16-14 overall and 9-12 in league action where they finished one game out of a playoff spot in 6th. 

 

FSW now turns their attention to the postseason where they will begin play at the FCSAA State Tournament on Thursday, March 14^th in Niceville.  The Bucs will learn their draw later this week.