TAMPA, Fla.- It was a tale of two halves for the #18 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers on the road in Tampa Wednesday night as they trailed Hillsborough by as many as 18 in the first half before storming back and outscoring the Hawks by 20 in the second half for a 70-60 come from behind victory to head to the break on a nine game winning streak and atop the Citrus Conference standings. 

 

The start of the game was a sign of things to come in the first half for the Bucs as they went scoreless through the first three minutes of the game and managed just one basket over the first 5:24 as they fell behind 10-3. A 5-0 Hillsborough run moments later pushed the Hawks lead to 18-7 and at the end of one quarter of action it was all HCC, leading FSW 20-10. 

 

The end of the quarter didn't stop the bleeding for the Bucs as Hillsborough came out of the break and scored the first eight points of the second to blow their lead open to 28-10. Down 17 with just over four minutes remaining in the half, Asiana Britt gave the Bucs a spark with four quick points and Samantha Serrano closed out the period with four straight of her own to get FSW back to within 10 at 37-27 as the teams went to the break. 

 

FSW shot themselves in the foot in the first 20 minutes, turning the ball over 16 times and shooting just 29% from the field, keeping themselves in the game only on the glass where they held a 32-12 advantage over the Hawks. 

 

Both teams were scoreless through the first 1:34 of the second half until a three point play from Delfina Cergneux got the Bucs going.  The bucket started the Bucs on a 12-0 run to start the half, giving FSW their first lead of the game at 39-37 with 5:39 left in the third quarter. The teams played even over the next four minutes until a three from Sarah Owona gave the Bucs a five point advantage at 47-42 with 1:15 remaining in the period. Hillsborough hit a pair of deep threes and the Bucs got a free throw to send the game to the fourth deadlocked at 48. 

 

Ivy Brown drove to the basket and scored on the Bucs first possession of the fourth quarter to put FSW back ahead and they never looked back from there. The Bucs went on to score the first eight points of the quarter to up their lead to 56-48 and a drive and score from Samantha Serrano cushioned their lead to double digits at 61-50. Hillsborough made one last push to make things interesting, but a three from Georgi Buzzetti from the top of the key put the nail in the coffin for the Hawks and the Bucs went on to win it 70-60 to wrap up the first round of conference play unbeaten. 

 

The difference in the ballgame came on the glass where FSW outrebounded Hillsborough 65-24, their largest rebounding margin in a game against an NJCAA opponent in Buccaneer program history. The Bucs shot an even 50% in the second half to finish the game at 38% while picking up a victory despite a season high 28 turnovers.  

 

A number of Bucs put up notable numbers in the win. Serrano led the way offensively with a game high 22 points while Brown and Britt notched double-doubles with 13 points and 10 rebounds and 10 points and 11 rebounds respectively. Owona filled the stat sheet with 12 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds while Buzzetti finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds.  Cergneux was a monster on the glass for FSW, hauling in a career high 18 rebounds, the most rebounds by a Buccaneer in a game this season. 

 

FSW wins their ninth straight game to improve to 11-3 overall while finishing the first round of Citrus Conference play on top of the league standings with an unblemished 6-0 mark. Hillsborough drops their third straight to fall to 8-6 overall and 2-4 in conference action. 

 

After a wild December which saw the Bucs play seven times in just 16 days, they will now get a much deserved break, getting the next two weeks off before taking the court again on January 4^th when they host #23 Eastern Florida in Suncoast Arena in a 2 PM matinee tip.