FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #19 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers won a defensive slugfest Saturday afternoon in Suncoast Credit Union Arena, outlasting a late charging Tallahassee squad for a 57-45 win to finish the FSW Bucs Club Classic 2-0 and improve to 3-1 overall on the 2021-2022 season. 

 

For the second straight night the Bucs got off to a red hot start, scoring the first 12 points of the game and holding Tallahassee off the scoreboard through the first 4:30 of the contest to get out to a 12-0 lead.  The Eagles finally got on the board and flipped the momentum, drawing back to within just five at 15-10 with 2:01 remaining in the period.  A jumper from Aaliyah Williams and a bucket in the paint from Tyshonne Tollie padded the Bucs lead back to nine at the end of one as FSW led it 19-10.  

 

Points were at a premium in the second, but slowly the Bucs were able to add to their lead, pushing it back to a 12 point game with 5:13 remaining in the half when Macarena Retamales dished one to Sariana Rodriguez on the break to make it 28-16. The Bucs went ice cold from there though, missing their next seven field goal attempts into the half as the Eagles inched back into the game, cutting it to a 29-22 game at the break.  

 

The half wasn't enough to reset the Bucs offensive woes as FSW was held scoreless for the first four minutes of the third quarter, watching their lead shrink to just three with 6:00 left in the period.  Jayla Murray was finally able to break the drought, but a pair of quick answers from the Eagles leveled the score for the first time since the opening tip at 31. A three from Rodriguez gave the Bucs the lead back and after three quarters of play it was FSW 38 and Tallahassee 37. 

 

An offensive rebound and putback from Tollie early in the fourth pushed the Bucs lead back to three and it was their defense from there that locked things down for the win.  The Bucs didn't manage another field goal for four minutes, but forced the Eagles to miss their next nine field goal attempts, and forced a pair of turnovers to salt the win away as they built their lead back to double digits before closing it out 57-45. 

 

After their hot start in which they shot 57% in the first quarter, the Bucs managed just four field goals in the second, third, and fourth quarters to finish the game shooting 39% from the field overall.  Their defense was up to the task though, holding Tallahassee to just 29% shooting while forcing 17 Eagle turnovers that they turned into 17 points in the win.  

 

Individually Retamales led the Bucs with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in the win.  Rodriguez added 13 points and 5 steals while Williams chipped in 9 points and 6 boards off the FSW bench. 

 

FSW improves to 3-1 on the season with the victory while Tallahassee remains winless at 0-4.  

 

The Bucs next four games will be on the road, starting Tuesday when they travel to Johnson University in Kissimmee to take on the Suns in non-conference action.