Posted: Dec 17, 2022
FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers finished the first half of their 2022-2023 season in style on Saturday, winning their fifth straight game in an 87-70 victory over Bishop State.
Both teams were clicking offensively early on as FSW and Bishop State combined for 26 points in the first five minutes of the contest with the Bucs leading the Wildcats 14-12. A pair of threes from Macarena Retamales and a late jumper from the sophomore pushed the Bucs lead up to a dozen at the end of one at 31-19.
The pace was considerably different in the second quarter as the two teams managed just four points a side in the first four minutes of the period as FSW held their 12 point lead at 35-23. Back to back buckets from Presleigh Scott pushed the Bucs lead to 16 and they finished the half strong, taking a 52-39 lead into the break at half.
Bishop State made a push early in the second half, cutting the Bucs lead back to just eight midway through the third quarter, but FSW scored the final 12 of the period, including a buzzer beating half court shot from Kiana Wilson to stretch their lead back all the way to 20 at 72-52 as the teams went to the fourth.
A jumper from Aaliyah Williams early in the second made it a 22 point game in favor of the Bucs and Blessing King grabbed an offensive rebound and stuck it back in to give FSW their largest lead of the game at 87-63 with 2:14 to go. The Bucs didn't score again, but they didn't need to as they dribbled out the clock for an 87-70 win to head into the break on a five game winning streak.
Retamales and Williams put up matching 24 point efforts to lead the way for the Bucs while Wilson added 15 off the FSW bench. King had 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocks while posting a team best +32 plus/minus.
FSW improves to 10-5 on the year with the victory while Bishop State falls to 3-7 on the year.
The Bucs were scheduled to be back in action on December 28-29 in the Daytona State Classic, but the tournament has been cancelled and FSW will now not take the court again until their Southern Conference opener on January 7th against Indian River at home in Suncoast Arena.