Posted: Dec 16, 2024
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #18 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers came out hot and never looked back Monday night, running past the Miami Dade Sharks 86-70 behind 51 combined points from Samantha Serrano and Asiana Britt and a near triple-double from forward Georgi Buzzetti.
Tied 4-4 early on, the Bucs went on a 10-0 run to push in front 14-4 and moments later Asiana Britt picked off a steal and threw it ahead to Samantha Serrano for a three point play to up their lead to a dozen at 18-6 with 3:51 to go in the first. Georgi Buzzetti drove through the lane and kicked out to Sarah Owona for a corner three to bump the Bucs lead to 24-10 before Miami Dade got the last four of the period to make it a 24-14 game in favor of FSW at the end of 10 minutes of action.
The Bucs held the Sharks without a field goal for the first three minutes of the second quarter, putting up nine of their own during that time to blow their lead open to 33-15 with 7:00 to go in the half. Miami Dade found some momentum of their own from there, closing the period on a 17-8 run, trimming the Bucs lead back to single digits as they went to the locker room with FSW leading it 41-32.
The third quarter belonged to Asiana Britt. The Bucs guard scored 15 straight points from the 8:00 mark to the 3:30 mark of the third, doubling the Bucs lead to 58-42 during the stretch. A pair of buckets from Serrano gave Britt a break from her workload momentarily before she added six more in the closing moments of the period to give her 21 in the quarter and the Bucs a 72-50 lead after three.
Buzzetti found Owona on a sweet little back cut early in the fourth to stretch the lead out to 25 before Owona returned the favor moments later to make it an 85-60 game. Miami Dade made a push late, but it was too little, too late as the Bucs finished off an 86-70 win to remain unbeaten in Citrus Conference action.
The Bucs shot 52% from the field, their second most efficient shooting night of the year, while four players scored in double figures in the win. Britt notched her career high in scoring for the second straight game with 26 while Serrano poured in 25 on 11-20 shooting. Owona filled the stat sheet with a career high tying 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals while Buzzetti flirted with a triple-double with 12 points, and career highs with 16 rebounds, and 6 assists.
FSW wins it's eighth game in a row, the Bucs longest winning streak since late in the 2020 season. The 18th ranked Bucs improve to 10-3 on the year while staying perfect in Citrus Conference play at 5-0. Miami Dade drops their second in a row to fall to 7-4 overall and 3-2 in league action.
The Bucs will wrap up the first round of conference play on Wednesday when they make the trip up I-75 for a 5 PM start against Hillsborough in Tampa.