#14 FSW Opens Shootout With Victory
The #14 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers led wire to wire Friday afternoon in their opening game of the 2019 Florida Juco Shootout hosted by Northwest Florida State College. The Bucs jumped in front of Florida State College at Jacksonville right away and never let off the gas, running away with their third straight win in a 78-50 victory.
NICEVILLE, Fla.- The #14 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers led wire to wire Friday afternoon in their opening game of the 2019 Florida Juco Shootout hosted by Northwest Florida State College. The Bucs jumped in front of Florida State College at Jacksonville right away and never let off the gas, running away with their third straight win in a 78-50 victory.
The Bucs got on the board right away as Sheslanie Laureano found her way into the lane for a layup to give FSW an early lead. They quickly extended that lead to 8-2 moments later on another Laureano bucket. The pushed their lead to 15-4 when Nairimar Vargas-Reyes found Cabria Lewis for an easy two midway through the first, but FSCJ scored the next nine straight to make it a two point game at 15-13 with 1:37 left in the quarter. The Bucs' Puerto Rican combo of Vargas-Reyes and Laureano dropped in buckets before the end of the period, pushing FSW's lead back to six at the end of one at 19-13.
FSW put the game away early in the second, scoring the first 10 points of the quarter to cushion their lead to 29-13. They took their first 20 point lead of the game on a pair of Adonne' Tillman free throws late in the quarter and took a 43-24 lead into the locker rooms at half.
The Bucs shot 43% from the field in the half and held the Blue Wave to just 35% shooting. Laureano led the way for the Bucs with 13 points while Lewis added 8 points and 3 steals off the bench for FSW.
FSW got off to another strong start to the quarter in the third, putting up nine straight after an early hoop by FSCJ to double up the Blue Wave at 52-26 with 5:44 to go in the period. FSCJ cut into the lead before the end of the quarter, but the Bucs still headed to the fourth in complete control, leading it 60-39.
A jumper by Simone Lett and five straight points from Laureano ballooned the FSW lead back to 28 at 67-39 early in the fourth, which is what the final margin ended up at as the Bucs took it 78-50 for their third straight victory.
FSW held FSCJ to 33% shooting on the night and forced 31 Blue Wave turnovers which they turned into 36 points. Laureano scored a team high 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting for the Bucs while Lewis and Waiters each added a career high 12 off the bench.
FSW improves to 7-4 on the year with the victory while FSCJ continues a rough start to 2019 as they fall to 2-11.
The Bucs will take the floor again on Saturday in Niceville as they battle #21 Pensacola State in a 5 PM start to wrap up the tournament.