2019-2020 Florida SouthWestern Women's Basketball News
After posting the highest winning percentage in the Suncoast Conference on the court and in the field for the second straight season this year, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers showed their true STUDENT-Athlete prowess on Wednesday as a conference high 21 Bucs earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honors.
All three Florida SouthWestern State women's athletics teams were honored by the NJCAA on Monday as the Bucs Volleyball, Softball, and Women's Basketball teams were named NJCAA Academic Teams of the Year by the organization.
To say Za’Nautica Downs was on fire in Florida SouthWestern’s first Suncoast Conference road game of the year in 2020 is an understatement. The Bucs’ sophomore guard was unstoppable against Hillborough, bringing us our #2 moment on our countdown of the Top 10 Moments of the FSW Athletics Year, her record shattering 41 point performance against Hillsborough.
We continue our countdown of the top 10 moments of the FSW Athletics year today as we look at our #9 moment; the Bucs Women’s Basketball team earning a bid to the NJCAA National Tournament for the second straight season.
After a series of one after another bad news reports regarding COVID-19 ended their 2019-2020 athletics year in March, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers got some good news on Thursday as the FCSAA Council of Presidents approved the NJCAA and the FCSAA AD’s plans to play the 2020-2021 seasons as planned, beginning in August.
The NJCAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced on Tuesday that Florida SouthWestern guard Sheslanie Laureano has been named a 2020 NJCAA Women’s Basketball All-Star.
After two seasons on the Gulf Coast at Florida SouthWestern, Buccaneer sophomore Shekinah Guthrie will head to the other side of the state next season after signing with Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Today we take a look at part two of our four part series on the Florida SouthWestern State Teams of the Decade as we highlight the Buccaneer Women’s Basketball program. The Bucs wrapped up their fourth season as the decade turned in 2020. In those four seasons, the Bucs won three Suncoast Conference Championships, going 34-5 in conference play, and reached their first two NJCAA National Tournaments in program history.
While there was no bracket play going on at the NJCAA National Tournament this spring, there were matchups being played out and coming down to the closing minutes in the T3 Bracketology Top Arena Poll. At the end, there was just one left standing and that was Suncoast Credit Union Arena, home of the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers. The Bucs' home digs brought home the title of the NJCAA's top arena with a 59% to 41% victory over Northwest Florida State's Raider Arena in the all Florida final.
The Florida SouthWestern State Men's and Women's Basketball teams will not have the opportunity to continue their reign over the Suncoast Conference next season as the conference will be no longer, with news that FSW will head across Alligator Alley to the Southern Conference next season with State College of Florida joining them on the men's side and Hillsborough, St. Petersburg, Eastern Florida (Women), and Polk State (Men) jumping to the Mid-Florida Conference for the 2020-2021 season.
For the second consecutive season, the Florida SouthWestern State Athletics Department recorded the highest winning percentage of any team in the FCSAA.
While Florida SouthWestern State College recently completed just its fifth year of NJCAA competition, it has already become a hotspot on NCAA Division I coaches' recruiting trail.
Following an All-Conference sophomore season with the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers, forward Simone Lett has signed with the University of South Alabama to continue her athletic and academic career.
Florida SouthWestern State All-American Za'Nautica Downs is headed North to continue her academic and athletic career, as she signed with the Seahawks of UNC-Wilmington Wednesday on National Signing Day across the country.
Florida SouthWestern State sophomore Nairimar Vargas-Reyes made her four year commitment official on Wednesday, signing with up and coming America East power Stony Brook to play for the Seawolves for the next two seasons.
The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers didn’t have to look far for their new Head Women’s Basketball Coach as Wednesday, FSW Athletic Director George Sanders announced that Dr. Jerald Ellis, a four year assistant with the Bucs, would take over as the Interim Head Coach for the 2020-2021 season.
