DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.- In a matchup that lived up to it's billing between two of the hottest teams in the country, the #4 Daytona State Falcons outlasted the #20 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers 109-106 in overtime Saturday afternoon in Daytona. FSW suffered the defeat despite shooting 57% from the field and 65% from the three point line while spoiling a 38 point, 13 rebound performance from sophomore Dezdrick Lindsay. 

 

The first half more closely represented the NBA All-Star Game then a Citrus Conference battle for first place as the Bucs and Falcons seemingly couldn't miss, trading blow for blow to a 20-20 tie midway through the period. Eight straight by the Bucs gave them a 28-21 lead, but Daytona stormed back to take a 39-36 lead of their own with under 5:00 to go in the half.  The shot making continued into the half where the Bucs took a 52-51 lead into the break.  

 

The shooting numbers were off the chart for both teams in the first half as FSW shot 62% from the field and 64% from three while Daytona shot 63% from the field and 55% from beyond the arc. AJ Hopkins and Dezdrick Lindsay combined for 27 for the Bucs in the half. 

 

The 15 minute break at the half didn't slow either team down as the lightbulbs on the scoreboard remained burning hot as the Bucs and Falcons traded baskets to a 69-69 tie with just over 12:00 to go. FSW looked like they were going to start pulling away, taking their largest lead of the game at 88-78 with just 5:32 to go after a Lindsay three from the wing, but Daytona got 11 of the next 15 points to draw back to within three at 92-89 with under 2:00 left.  Lindsay stuck a huge three for the Bucs with 37 seconds to go to put them up six but Daytona didn't go down quietly, hitting a three of their own with 10 seconds to go to cut the FSW lead in half to 95-92. The Bucs still looked like they were in good shape, leading by three with the ball with just 10 seconds to go, but a turnover and ensuing three for the Falcons tied things up and sent the game to overtime knotted at 95. 

 

The Bucs and Falcons continued to pile the points on as both blew past the century mark early in the extra period where they found themselves tied at 106 with just under a minute to go. Daytona got a pair of free throws to go up two and made one of two on their next trip to the line to make it a three point game and after scoring at will all night, the Bucs couldn't get anything to fall in the final minute, going down 109-106 to see their 10 game winning streak come to a halt. 

 

Both teams finished the game shooting North of 50% from both the field and from the three point line as FSW connected on 57% overall and an even better 65% from deep. Lindsay scored a career high 38 on 15-22 shooting while hauling in 13 rebounds in the loss while Hopkins also poured in a career high 23 on 7-11 from the three point line.  

 

The Bucs lose for the first time in 2024 as their 10 game winning streak comes to an end, dropping to 17-5 overall and 7-1 in Citrus Conference play. Daytona moves back into a first place tie with FSW and Eastern Florida at 7-1 in Citrus Conference action while improving to 21-1 overall. 

 

Things won't get any easier for FSW their next time out as they host #18 Eastern Florida Wednesday night at 7 PM in Suncoast Credit Union Arena in a huge Citrus Conference matchup for the two sides.