FORT MYERS, Fla.- Sheslanie Laureano and Patience Williams combined for 46 points, 21 rebounds, and 14 steals to power the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers over the visiting Miami Dade Sharks 62-56 in Suncoast Credit Union Arena Wednesday night.  

 

After a forgettable opening tip sequence, the Bucs raced out to a good start on the Sharks, as Sheslanie Laureano scored the first eight points for FSW before getting a block leading to a bucket from Patience Williams to give the Bucs an early 10-2 lead.  They couldn't keep the momentum though as the turnover bug bit them and they went without a single field goal for the final 5:02 of the first quarter as Miami Dade came back to tie the score up at 13 at the end of one.  

 

It remained a tie ballgame midway through the second when four straight from Williams put the Purple and Aqua back in front 23-19.  A steal from Laureano and a finish in the paint from Williams extended the Bucs lead to six, but Miami Dade got the final four of the period to make it a 27-25 game at the end of 20 minutes of play. 

 

The Bucs came out of the locker room guns a blazin' as Laureano and Williams again put FSW on their backs to give the Bucs the first 11 points of the third quarter to take their largest of the night at 38-25.  But once again, the Bucs went ice cold after the hot start to the half as they managed just a single basket in a 5:15 stretch and watched as their double digit lead slowly melted away before the Sharks tied the score at 40 and then took a 45-44 lead of their own after three quarters of action.  

 

Laureano and Williams weren't going to let their team drop another game on their home floor though as Laureano scored the Bucs first five of the quarter to even things back up and Williams dropped in an eight footer to give them the lead back at 51-49 with 6:32 to go.  Laureano found Tashun Bryson for two to make it a four point game and FSW took an eight point lead as Laureano drew her eighth foul of the night and knocked down a pair of freebies to make it 57-49 with 3:29 remaining. Miami Dade gave it one last push, getting to within two with just over a minute remaining, but FSW went 4-4 at the free throw line in the final minute of the contest to ice away a 62-56 victory.  

 

While a win is a win, Wednesday night's game probably won't go down on either team's season highlight reel.  Both teams shot 33% from the field while FSW shot slightly better from the three point line 21%, than the Sharks, 19%.  The biggest team number standing out on the stat sheet was in the turnover compartment where FSW forced Miami Dade into 26 turnovers on the night while giving it up 22 times themselves.  

 

Individually, Laureano and Williams scored 46 of the Bucs 62 points on the night.  Laureano just missed a triple-double, scoring 24 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and picking off nine steals in the win.  Williams racked up yet another double-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and five steals. Bryson had seven points and 10 boards for the Bucs. 

 

FSW improves to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Southern Conference action with the win while Miami Dade falls further behind the pace at 4-7 overall and 1-4 in league play.  

 

The Bucs are headed to the Surf Coast this weekend where they will take on DME Academy Friday afternoon before taking on Daytona State Saturday.