BRADENTON, Fla.- The shorthanded Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers suffered another heartbreaking loss in the closing seconds of a game on Wednesday as after FSW missed a free throw to keep it a two point game with 14 seconds remaining, State College of Florida hit a three from the corner with under 2 seconds left on the clock to beat the Bucs by one 63-62.

 

After struggling on the road in each of their first three Southern Conference games in January, the Bucs looked like they might have found something early on against the Manatees on Wedensday despite playing without their top two scorers in Bradley Douglas and Tyson Brown. Dezdrick Lindsay took advantage of his spot start early on, scoring six points in the first three minutes to push FSW out to a quick 8-2 lead. The Bucs continued to control the pace through the next seven minutes to the midway mark of the first half, holding their six point lead at 19-13 with 10:00 to go in the half.  State College of Florida cut the lead in half to three before Jaehshon Thomas' reverse layup in transition pushed the Bucs lead back to five at 26-21 with 6:00 left in the half.  The teams played even over the final six minutes of the half and the Bucs took a 36-31 lead into the locker rooms at the break.  

 

The pace slowed after the teams made halftime adjustments and points began to come at a premium as the Manatees crept back in to within just one at 49-48 with 11:00 to go.  The Bucs defense continued to keep them in it, but as has been the case lately, the FSW offense went into a funk as they saw the lead disappear and the game go back to square one with the score 58-58 with 2:00 remaining. SCF went back up one momentarily with just over a minute left before the Bucs finally cashed in on a second, third, and fourth chance as they crashed the glass and turned it into a pair of free throws to go in front 61-60. They got a defensive stop and went the other way where they were fouled and went back to the line with 14 seconds remaining, but were only able to take advantage of one of the two freebies to make it a two point game with time winding down.  The Bucs forced a tough three point shot on the Manatees final possession, but it found it's mark with under 2 seconds to go and the Bucs never got a shot off on the ensuing inbounds and therefore fell 63-62 for their fourth straight defeat.  

 

After a good start, the Bucs shooting woes reared their ugly heads again in the second as FSW shot just 31% and managed just 26 points in the second half while leaving seven points at the line, going 10-17 in the loss. Jadrian Tracey had 22 for the Bucs in the loss, Lindsay was the only other Buc in double figures with 12.  

 

The loss put the Bucs on the dubious side of two different stats on Wednesday as they suffer their first loss in 21 all-time outings against the Manatees while also suffering their first four game losing streak in program history. 

 

FSW falls to 14-8 overall and 2-5 in Southern Conference play in the defeat while SCF improves to 14-8 overall and 4-2 in conference action.  

 

The Bucs will try to get back on the winning track on Monday when they travel to Tampa to take on Hillsborough in Southern Conference action beginning at 7:30 PM. FSW returns home on February 9^th when they host Indian River at Suncoast Arena in a 7:00 PM tip.