MIAMI, Fla.- After trailing most of the second half in their first game after the Thanksgiving Break, the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers pulled off a stunning late game comeback against the Central Georgia Tech Titans, capturing a 70-66 win to improve to 5-1 on the year. 

 

It was slow going for the Bucs offensively early on as a five minute drought without a bucket put them in an early 8-6 hole against Central Georgia Tech. Thankfully for the Bucs, their defense was up to the task, keeping them in the game until Abdoulaye Konate laid one in at the midway point of the half to tie the score at 15. Keyon Giles nailed a three to give the Bucs their first lead since early in the ballgame at 22-21 and back to back triples from Lamont Hartfield and Mason Blazer later in the period gave FSW their largest lead of the game at 32-26. The Titans closed the half by scoring the final five points, trimming the Bucs lead to 32-31 as the teams went to the locker rooms at the break. 

 

Central Georgia Tech carried their momentum into the second half, holding FSW to just one field goal over the first 5:28 as they took their largest lead of the game at 43-36 with 14:32 to go. The Bucs clawed their way back in, getting an offensive rebound and put back from Stephen Okoro to make it a one possession game at 50-48 as the half hit the midway point. The teams traded baskets over the next six minutes until four straight from the Titans gave Central Georgia Tech a six point lead at 64-58 with 3:02 remaining. The Bucs put the clamps down on the defensive side of the floor from there, keeping the Titans off the scoreboard over the next minute and a half to go on a 7-0 run capped by a three from Blazer to give them the lead 65-64 with 1:41 remaining. The Titans scored out of a timeout to retake the lead with just over a minute to go, but Blazer found Jeremy Innocent for two at the rim to put FSW back in front 67-66 with just 44 seconds remaining in regulation. Blazer picked off a Titan pass to give the Bucs ball back on Tech's next possession and Konate hit a pair of free throws to give FSW some breathing room up three with 11 seconds left. With time winding down, the Titans got a three off to try to tie it, but it was off the mark and the Bucs cleared the glass, hit a free throw after being fouled to seal it and eventually went on to win it 70-66. 

 

The Bucs shot just 39% from the field in the win, but won the game on the glass and at the free throw line, outrebounding Central Georgia Tech 43-28 in the game and outscoring the Titans by 12 at the line 20-8. Four Bucs scored in double figures led by Blazer and Hartfield who had 15 in the victory. 

 

The Bucs improve to 5-1 on the year with the win while Central Georgia Tech falls to 3-2. 

 

FSW will continue action at the Jim Cox Invitational in Miami Saturday with a matchup against Tennessee Valley Prep who yielded 132 to Miami Dade in a loss Friday.