January 18, 2025
Bucs Shake Off Slow Start For Home Win
The #15 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers got off to a slow start Saturday afternoon in Suncoast Credit Union Arena, managing just 27 first half points against the St. Petersburg Titans, but they just about doubled that number in the third quarter and then again in the fourth to run away with a 75-50 win to remain unbeaten at 9-0 in Citrus Conference action.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #15 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers got off to a slow start Saturday afternoon in Suncoast Credit Union Arena, managing just 27 first half points against the St. Petersburg Titans, but they just about doubled that number in the third quarter and then again in the fourth to run away with a 75-50 win to remain unbeaten at 9-0 in Citrus Conference action.
The Bucs were out of sorts early on as a rash of turnovers and empty possessions allowed St. Petersburg to get out to a 6-2 lead to begin the ballgame. The Bucs scored the next five to take their first lead of the game and held that one point advantage to the end of the quarter at 15-14.
FSW went scoreless for the first 3:01 of the second quarter and didn't get their first field goal of the period until more than four minutes in, but the Titans couldn't take advantage as a bucket on the inside from Ivy Brown knotted the score at 18 with 5:54 remaining in the half. Brown found Delfina Cergneux on a perfectly executed high-low to give the Bucs a three point lead late in the half and that is the margin they would go to the break leading, 27-24.
After a quiet first half, Bucs superstar Samantha Serrano got things going herself right away in the third quarter with an acrobatic layup to make it a five point game. A three from Sarah Owona extended the Bucs lead midway through the period and a pair of late free throws from Brown gave FSW a 50-42 lead at the end of three.
Serrano nailed a three to start the fourth for FSW to give the Bucs their first double digit lead of the afternoon and they ran away with it from there. An offensive rebound and putback for Georgi Buzzetti made it 59-42 FSW with 7:26 remaining and a jumper from Asiana Britt gave the Bucs their first 20 point lead of the game with 3:45 to go. The Bucs didn't let up as Cergneux scored on back to back finishes in the paint and FSW went on to win it 75-50 at the final horn.
FSW shot 47% from the field to overcome a 20 turnover afternoon. The Bucs dominated the glass, outrebounding St. Pete 48-20 in the contest. Serrano scored 20 on just nine field goal attempts in the win, giving her her seventh straight 20+ point scoring effort. Cergneux scored a career high 16 off the FSW bench while also corralling 9 rebounds while Buzzetti added 12 while blocking 6 shots on the defensive end and Owona reached double figures with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
The Bucs win their 13th straight to improve to 15-3 overall while remaining unbeaten in Citrus Conference play at 9-0. St. Petersburg suffered their fifth straight loss to drop to 2-19 overall while remaining winless in league play at 0-10.
FSW returns to the court on Wednesday when they host Santa Fe in a 5 PM tip from Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers.