FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were in a giving mood on Saturday as they opened up the second half of their 2019-2020 schedule with a date with the Oakton Owls in the FSW Holiday Classic at Suncoast Credit Union Arena.  The Bucs racked up 20 assists, their most in seven games, in a 99-65 route of the Owls to improve to 15-1 on the year.  

 

Playing a different starting lineup, with two players, Hasahnn Reynolds and CJ Lane drawing their first career starts, the Bucs got off to a hot start, taking a 10-2 lead four minutes in and extending it to 29-10 on a bucket from Keon Ellis nine minutes into the action.  Oakton showed a little bit of life, making it a 13 point game at 36-23 with 6:28 remaining in the half, but the Bucs finished the period strong, outscoring the Owls 20-5 from there to blow the game wide open at 56-28 at the break.  

 

FSW shot an eye opening 61% from the field in the half, getting 11 points each from Jalen Finch and Ralph Bissainthe to lead the way.  

 

On a night in which they flirted with the century mark, the Bucs got off to a relatively slow start in the second, managing just six points in the first 6:13 as Oakton cut the FSW lead back under 20 at 62-43 with 12:47 remaining.  They would never get any closer as Terry Roberts buried a jumper and Berrick JeanLouis and Simeon Kirkland followed with two handed slams to quickly push the Bucs back out to a 25 point lead at 68-43. The Bucs took their first 30 point lead of the night on a three point play on a high-low hookup from De'Lazarus Keys to Kirkland and took their largest lead of the game on back to back fast break layups from Keon Ellis to put them up 93-55 with 2:42 to go.  FSW eventually put the Owls out of their misery, finishing them off 99-65 for their eighth straight victory.  

 

FSW finished an efficient night shooting 53% from the field while holding Oakton to 41%.  A much bigger Bucs front line dominated the paint, outscoring the Owls 56-24 down low.  Five players finished in double figures in scoring for the Bucs, led by Bissainthe who led all scorers with 16 on a perfect 6-6 shooting.  Finch went for 13 and 5 assists for FSW while Mohamed Sylla, Ellis, and Kirkland each had 11.  

 

The Bucs earn their eighth straight win to go to 15-1 on the year while Oakton's struggles continue as they fall to 3-11.  

 

FSW will wrap up non-conference action on Sunday when they host Delta at 5 PM in their final game before the calendar flips to 2020.