NICEVILLE, Fla.- The #12 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers picked a bad time for their second worst shooting game of the season Friday afternoon in Niceville, hitting on just 32% from the field in a 66-54 loss to #4 Chipola to bring their run at the FCSAA Championships to an end in the round of four.  FSW will now have to play the waiting game to see if they have earned an at large bid for the NJCAA National Tournament which will be announced on Sunday. 

 

The start of the game was a sign of things to come for FSW as they went empty on their first six possessions, missing four shots and turning it over twice.  The Bucs finally got their first field goal of the game 3:15 in, but thanks to their defense,  they were able to take a 6-5 lead at the midway point of the quarter. Their offensive struggles continued as they went scoreless over the next 4:21, but thankfully Chipola had their troubles as well and led it just 11-8 at the end of an ugly first quarter of action. 

 

Asiana Britt opened up second with five quick points to put the Bucs back in front 13-11 and Georgi Buzzetti hit a three from the top of the key to pad the Bucs lead to 22-16 with 6:57 remaining in the half. Delfina Cergneux ripped down an offensive rebound and scored to give the Bucs their biggest lead of the game at 26-18 but Chipola roared back to regain a 30-29 advantage in the final minute of the half. with time winding down in the first Samantha Serrano connected on a deep three, giving FSW a 32-30 lead into the break at half. 

 

The pace picked up in the second half as the Bucs and Indians traded the lead back and forth until a 5-0 burst from the Bucs on a three from Ivy Brown and a jumper from Buzzetti made it 43-39 FSW. The Bucs went cold from there though, managing just two points over the final 5:07 of the period as Chipola went back in front and took a 50-45 lead at the end of three quarters of action. 

 

The Brown to Buzzetti connection continued as the fourth quarter got underway, but back to back threes from the Indians quickly pushed their lead to double digits at 57-47 with 5:57 to go. Sarah Owona found Ivy Brown for an easy two to get FSW back to within seven with 4:25 to go, but a quick answer by the Indians stunted the Bucs momentum and FSW never threatened again.  Chipola went on to win it 66-54 to end the Bucs run at the tournament. 

 

The Bucs shot just 32% from the field, their second worst shooting effort of the season.  Buzzetti finished with a team high 19 points and hauled in 10 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season while Brown just missed the first triple double in Bucs history with 7 points, 10 rebounds, and a career high 10 assists. 

 

The Bucs see their nine game winning streak come to an end as they fall to 24-5 on the year while Chipola advances to their first FCSAA Championship Game since 2021 with a 29-3 record. 

 

FSW now puts the fate of their season in the hands of the NJCAA at-large committee who will announce Sunday which eight teams will join the 16 automatic qualifiers in Casper, Wyoming at the 2025 NJCAA National Tournament.