November 9, 2021
Six in Double Figures As #22 FSW Routes St. Pete
The #22 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers came out with a vengeance Tuesday night off of their first loss of the season, and unfortunately for St. Petersburg, the Titans were in the way as the Bucs used a 16-0 run midway through the first half to blow the game open and never looked back in a 99-68 win at home in Suncoast Arena to improve to 2-1 on the season.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #22 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers came out with a vengeance Tuesday night off of their first loss of the season, and unfortunately for St. Petersburg, the Titans were in the way as the Bucs used a 16-0 run midway through the first half to blow the game open and never looked back in a 99-68 win at home in Suncoast Arena to improve to 2-1 on the season.
It was a good game early on between the old Suncoast Conference rivals as FSW and St. Pete were knotted at 10 at the 13:30 mark of the first half. An offensive rebound from Cameron Stitt and kick out to Kaiyem Cleary for a three put the Bucs in front and they used the momentum to go on a 16-0 run from there, getting threes from Cleary, Rhyjon Blackwell, Stitt, and Klein Alexandre to open up a 26-10 lead midway through the period. St. Pete cut it back down to a 10 point game at the 5:00 mark, but FSW outscored the Titans 18-6 to close the half, including a three to beat the buzzer by Omar Rowe to give the Bucs a 51-29 lead as the teams went to the locker rooms at half.
The teams played even through the first eight minutes of the second half until the Bucs stepped on the gas again. A steal from Jonathan Dos Anjos and a dish to Bryant Selebangue on the other end turned into a two handed slam to put the Bucs up 26 with 9:00 to go and an old fashioned three point play from Stitt with exactly 5:00 left on the clock gave FSW their biggest lead of the game at 93-57. The Bucs bench saw some action in the closing minutes of the contest, but it didn't matter as FSW cruised to the finish line for a 99-68 victory to push their early season record to 2-1 on the year.
The Bucs dominated on all three levels, shooting 55% from the field and 50% from three while connecting on 81% from the free throw line. Conversely, holding St. Pete to just 38% from the field and 35% from three while outrebounding the Titans 40-28. Six different Bucs scored in double figures led by Rowe who poured in 17 in 19 minutes off the bench. Stitt and Selebangue finished with double-doubles in the win, Stitt going for 13 and 13 and Selebangue 15 and 10.
Each side moves to 2-1 on the season with the result.
The Bucs are back in action this weekend when they travel to Melbourne to take part in the 2021 Florida Juco Shootout. FSW will take on Tallahassee at 2:30 on Friday before taking on Florida State College-Jacksonville in matinee action on Saturday.