FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers put up a show on opening night of the 2021-2022 NJCAA Basketball season on Monday, rewriting the program's record books with a 146-51 massacre of the visiting Victory Rock Blue Devils.  Notable records broken were: total points (146- 23 more than previous high), field goals made (55), field goal percentage (66%), three pointers made (22), assists (42), single game assists (Marcus Niblack & Jordan Mitchell- 15), single game field goal percentage (Justin Archer- 93%). 

 

The Bucs scored on their first possession of the game and Victory Rock answered with a bucket of their own to tie the game at two 30 seconds into the game.  That was the end of the positives for the Blue Devils. FSW scored the next 24 straight points, getting a combination of inside and outside looks to open up a 26-2 lead just five minutes into the game.  The onslaught continued as the Bucs hit the 50 point mark just past the midway point of the half after four straight points from Bryant Selebangue made it a 52-14 game. Then it was Phillip Smith's turn to get hot and he did just that, cashing in five three pointers to help open up the lead to 75-24 before the teams hit the locked room at the half. FSW shot 66% from the field in the half while hitting on 10 of 20 from deep for a smooth 50%. 

 

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, the break at the half was not enough to cool the red hot Bucs off. Omar Rowe got the Bucs going early in the second half with five straight points and Marcus Niblack picked off a steal and finished a fast break with a slam to put FSW up 60 at 86-26 two minutes into the period.  Justin Archer continued to be in the right place at the right time on the glass for the Bucs, finishing shot after shot in the paint to pad the lead and with 14:17 remaining Rowe drilled his fourth three of the half to put FSW over the century mark with a 102-31 advantage.  It didn't matter who was in the game for the Bucs as they continued to pour it on against the hapless Blue Devils and Niblack found Cameron Stitt on an alley oop to extend the lead to 124-40 for the Purple and Aqua. In the process, Niblack broke the program's all-time single game assist mark with his 15th dime of the night, just to be matched 54 seconds later with Jordan Mitchell dished out his 15th on a three from Smith, which also tied Smith for the Bucs all-time best mark with his eighth three of the night. In the end, the Bucs put the Blue Devils out their misery 146-51, shattering the previous school record for points in a game as well as margin of victory at 95. 

 

The Bucs shot a program record 66% in the win while nailing 22 threes which was also a program best mark.  All 10 Bucs that played in the game made a dent in the stat sheet in one way or another.  Smith torched the nets for 34 points on 13 of 19 shooting and 8 of 14 from deep while Archer was second on the team with 27 points on a program record 13 of 14 shooting (93%).  Jonathan Dos Anjos and Omar Rowe combined for 41 points and 14 rebounds, both topping the 20 point mark in the win.  The Bucs guards ran a tight ship as FSW set a program record with 42 assists overall, the bulk of that coming from Mitchell and Niblack who both one upped the previous program record of 14 with 15 in their FSW debuts. Niblack just missed a triple-double, also adding a team best 10 rebounds and 7 points in the win.  

 

FSW remains perfect in season openers at 6-0 and wins for the sixth straight time against Victory Rock. 

 

The Bucs will be back in action on Saturday in Gainesville when they take on Santa Fe on the Saints home court before returning to Fort Myers for a battle with St. Petersburg next Tuesday at 7 PM.