NICEVILLE, Fla.- For 30 minutes, it looked like the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were going to push past their FCSAA Tournament curse, but a five minute stretch without a field goal did them in in a 74-63 loss to the Gulf Coast State Commodores in the tournament quarterfinals Thursday night in Niceville to bring their 2024-2025 season to an end at 18-11. 

 

Both teams got off to a dreadfully slow start as it took FSW 3:30 to put their first points on the board, but Gulf Coast managed just two points of their own during that stretch to begin the game. It was 5-5 five minutes in when a 5-0 run from the Bucs staked them out to a 10-5 advantage at the 13:00 mark of the first. Back to back lay ins from Ahmed Soumahoro kept the Bucs up by five midway through the half and a three from K'jei Parker made it 23-15 Buccaneers with 7:27 to go in the period. The Bucs went without a field goal for over five minutes after that as Gulf Coast stormed back to tie the score with 1:36 left before a late finish on the inside from Jafeth Martinez gave FSW a 31-30 lead into the locker rooms at the break. 

 

The Bucs came out of the break hot as Eugene Alvin nailed back to back threes to put FSW up 42-36 with 16:04 to go. Jeremy Innocent grabbed an offensive board and stuck it back in to extend the lead to eight, but a 7-0 run by the Commodores trimmed it back to a one point game at 46-45 with 11:38 to go. Gulf Coast took the lead with 7:20 to go and it was all downhill for the Bucs from there. The Bucs went 5:08 without a field goal as Gulf Coast ballooned the lead to 69-57 and time was the Bucs biggest enemy from there as the clock ticked down on the Bucs season, hitting 0:00 with the Commodores winning it 74-63 to bring FSW's season to a close. 

 

The Bucs outshot Gulf Coast 47% to 43%, but FSW turned the ball over 20 times which led to 20 Commodore points which was the difference in the defeat. Parker finished with 15 points and 9 rebounds in his FSW finale, hitting three three pointers to break an Buccaneers single season record with 91 on the year. Alvin was the only other FSW player to score in double figures with 10. 

 

The Bucs season comes to a close at 18-11 while Gulf Coast advances to the FCSAA Semifinals at 22-9 where they will take on top seeded Daytona Friday night in Niceville.