November 30, 2021
Bucs Grind Out Win Over Polk
Marcus Niblack and Rhyjon Blackwell posted career highs and Bryant Selebangue continued his tear in the paint with his fourth straight double-double as the #22 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers took care of their old Suncoast Conference rival Polk State 84-73 Tuesday night in Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- Marcus Niblack and Rhyjon Blackwell posted career highs and Bryant Selebangue continued his tear in the paint with his fourth straight double-double as the #22 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers took care of their old Suncoast Conference rival Polk State 84-73 Tuesday night in Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
Points were certainly at a premium early on between the Bucs and Eagles as neither team scored in the first two minutes and FSW held Polk to just one field goal in the first seven minutes of the game as they led 8-2 at the 13:00 mark of the first half. After a Polk basket made it 8-4, FSW went on an 8-0 run, to push their lead to a dozen at 16-4 at the midway point of the half. Five straight from Polk got the Eagles back to within seven, but seven points in three minutes from Ryjon Blackwell opened the Bucs lead back to double digits at 23-13. The game was muddied from there with fouls and turnovers, but the Bucs continued to hold a 10 point lead at 31-21 with less than three minutes left in the half. FSW wouldn't get another field goal in the half, but still took a six point lead into the break at 34-28. The Bucs held the lead at the half despite shooting just 29% from the field and going 1-10 in the first 20 minutes of action. Bryant Selebangue led FSW with 12 points and 8 rebounds in 14 minutes of action in the first.
The Bucs started slow again in the second as it took the Purple and Aqua 3:20 to put their first field goal on the board as Polk was able to trim the FSW lead to just four at 38-34. It didn't stay that way for long though as Blackwell scored eight straight for the Bucs to quickly push their lead back to double digits and a three point play from Marcus Niblack moments later gave FSW their largest lead of the game at 54-41 with 11:49 to go. Polk just wouldn't go away though, grinding out possession after possession through the middle portion of the half to claw their way back into it, once again making it a four point game at 67-63 with 6:17 remaining. Selebangue's 10th rebound of the game on one end and a two handed slam on the other got the Bucs back on track and started a 9-0 run to finally put the game out of reach at 76-63 with 3:26 left. Polk never threatened again as the Bucs took care of business at the free throw line to salt the game away in the final moments, finishing off an 84-73 win to improve to 7-2 on the year.
Niblack and Blackwell posted career highs for the Bucs in the win as Niblack finished with 22, including an FSW single game record 14 free throws made, while Blackwell went for 18. Selebangue put up his fourth consecutive double-double, scoring 19 points on 8-11 shooting while hauling in 13 rebounds and posting a team best +17 plus/minus in the victory.
FSW improves to 7-2 on the year with the win and remains perfect in 15 games against Polk State all-time while the Eagles drop to 5-3 on the year.
FSW is back home on Saturday when they host Daytona State at 4 PM in a rare meeting between the Bucs and Falcons.