January 10, 2026
Bucs Come Up Short to Snap Streak
The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers saw their five game winning streak come to an end Saturday afternoon at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, dropping a 73-69 decision to the Hillsborough Hawks to fall to 12-5 on the year.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers saw their five game winning streak come to an end Saturday afternoon at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, dropping a 73-69 decision to the Hillsborough Hawks to fall to 12-5 on the year.
The Bucs got out to a big start, opening up a 13-5 lead seven minutes in after five straight points from Tyler Bey. They would go ice cold from there though, getting shutout on the scoreboard over the next 4:38 while Hillsborough went on a 9-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 14-13. Lamont Hartfield broke the drought with a jumper to put the Bucs back ahead and FSW and Hillsborough went back and forth until playing to a 19-19 stalemate with 7:00 remaining in the first half. Hillsborough got the next seven to push back ahead and held the lead the rest of the way in the first, holding a 39-31 advantage as the teams went to the locker rooms at the break.
The Bucs offensive struggles continued into the second half as they managed just one field goal over the first five minutes of the period as their deficit grew to double digits at 45-35. FSW finally found some rhythem with the basketball, but Hillsborough matched them step for step, remaining ahead by 10, 57-47 midway through the second. The Bucs made a frantic push in the closing moments of the contest, but the clock worked like an hourglass against them and they eventually ran out of time, falling 73-69 to see their five game winning streak come to an end.
It was a rough shooting afternoon for the Bucs who connected on just 38% from the field and 21% from the three point line. Four Bucs scored in double figures led by Hartfield who put up 18 and Mason Blazer who chalked up a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
FSW falls to 12-5 overall with the loss while dropping their first Citrus Conference game to move to 2-1. Hillsborough wins for the fifth time in their past six contests, improving to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in league play.
The Bucs are back home on Wednesday when they host Eastern Florida in a big early season Citrus Conference matchup beginning at 7 PM at Suncoast Arena.