FORT PIERCE, Fla.- For the second straight game, the #24  Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers struggled in the second half Saturday afternoon on the road at Indian River, unfortunately for the Bucs, they didn't have the same 24 point lead at the break they did the last time out and it cost them as Indian River pulled off a 79-76 upset to make the Bucs road to a Citrus Conference Championship much more difficult with one game left to go in the regular season. 

 

The Bucs went into the game shorthanded, playing without a trio of players who have combined to average over 25 points per game on the season.  That didn't matter early on as they got off to a good start, leading it 10-6 five minutes in and 20-17 midway through the first half. Dezdrick Lindsay continued to have his way against the Pioneer defense, slashing through the lane for basket after basket to give FSW a 42-36 lead at the half. 

 

Indian River came out the aggressors in the second, quickly erasing the Bucs lead and taking a 54-53 lead of their own five minutes into the period. The Bucs and Pioneers went back and forth over the next 10 minutes, taking turns with the lead with Indian River holding a one point advantage 70-69 with just over 4:00 to go. The Bucs kept scoring, but they couldn't come up with a big stop on the defensive end, trailing by three with the ball and 30 seconds remaining to the final horn. The Pioneers took their four fouls they had to give, but FSW got a good look from three with time winding down, unfortunately it wouldn't find it's mark and the Bucs went down 79-76 in their final road game of the 2024 season. 

 

It was a two man show for FSW in the second half as Karmani Gregory and Jaehshon Thomas scored 27 of the Bucs 34 points in the final 20 minutes to finish the game with a combined 43.  No other stats were available at time of release.  

 

It is a devastating loss for the Bucs who fall to 22-7 overall and 12-3 in Citrus Conference play. FSW will now need to defeat #7 Daytona State in their regular season finale on Monday and get a monumental upset from Polk State over Eastern Florida to share the conference title with the Falcons and Titans. Indian River, who has been locked into their playoff positioning for the past week, improves to 24-5 overall and 10-5 in league play where they will finish 4th. 

 

The Bucs return home for Sophomore Night on Monday in Suncoast Arena where they will take on the 7^th ranked Falcons at 7 PM.  Prior to the game, the Bucs will honor their six sophomores playing in their final games in Fort Myers in the Purple and Aqua.