TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Rewarding their second place finish in the Southern Conference standings during the regular season, six Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were honored by the league on Friday by being named All-Southern Conference performers.
The Bucs had four 1st Team All-Conference selections led by Macarena Retamales who gets the 1st team nod for the second straight season. Retamales was the Bucs leading scorer in conference play at 18.0 points per game while also pacing the club in assists with 3.8 a game and was third on the team with 5.0 rebounds per contest. She scored in double figures in seven of nine conference games and topped the 20 point mark in six of those.
Fort Myers native Aaliyah Williams also earned 1st Team honors, putting up 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in conference action, all second best on the Bucs roster. Williams shot 54% from the field during conference play and was their most frequent and most successful scorer at the free throw line, shooting 79% in nine contests. She scored 20 or more points in four different Southern Conference games including in back to back wins over Indian River and Miami Dade.
The lone FSW freshman on the 1st Team was Blessing King who was relentless on the inside for the Bucs, averaging a double-double in conference play with 10.6 points and 15.7 rebounds per game. King was an absolute monster on the glass for the Bucs, recording no less than 9 rebounds in any of the nine games while topping the 20 rebound mark on four occasions including a school record 23 against Hillsborough late in the year.
The fourth and final 1st Teamer for the Bucs was sophomore guard Natalia Tondi. Tondi upped her game to 11.7 points and 2.7 assists during conference play, leading the Bucs with 21 three pointers made in the nine games. She turned it on late in the season, scoring 17 or more points in three of the Bucs final four games of the season including a career high 20 against Hillsborough.
A pair of FSW freshmen were named 2nd Team All-Conference choices. First is guard Kiana Wilson who averaged 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game during her rookie campaign. She had back to back double figure scoring performances against Indian River and Miami Dade and dished out 4 or more assists three times as well.
Joining Wilson on the 2nd Team was Juliana Gomez. Gomez averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in conference play including scoring a career high 9 on three made three pointers in a win over Indian River.
The Bucs six selections was second to only league champion Indian River.
The Bucs begin the postseason on Wednesday at 4:00 (EST) when they take on #9 Gulf Coast State in the first round of the 2023 FCSAA State Tournament in Niceville, Florida.