FORT MYERS, Fla.- The outside shots weren't falling Saturday afternoon for the #17 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers, but that didn't matter as they used their size on the inside to score 46 points in the paint and a grinding defensive effort to run past the visiting Daytona State Falcons 76-51 to improve to 11-1 in Citrus Conference play this season. 

 

It was the Ivy Brown show early on for the Bucs as the sophomore scored the first points of the game on a three from the top of the key and moments later did the same thing again to put FSW on top 9-2 to get things going. Asiana Britt pushed the ball up the floor and found Brown on the inside for an easy two to up the Bucs lead to 15-4 with 3:30 remaining in the quarter and at the end of one it was FSW 19-8 over the Falcons with Brown outscoring the visitors by herself 12-8 in the period. 

 

Neither side could buy a bucket in the second quarter as the Bucs and Falcons went scoreless through the first 3:38 and the first field goal didn't come until the 5:51 mark of the period when Georgi Buzzetti stepped out and hit a three to make it 22-9 FSW. An offensive rebound and putback from Delfina Cergneux extended the Bucs lead to 32-13 late in the quarter and at the break it was 34-13 FSW as the teams went to the locker room. 

 

A high-low connection from Brown to Buzzetti kept FSW up 20 midway through the third before a jumper from Britt had the Bucs doubling up the Falcons 48-24 with 3:55 remaining in the quarter. Two more buckets on the inside beefed the Bucs lead up before the end of the period as they took a commanding 56-29 advantage into the fourth. 

 

The Bucs continued to pour it on the Falcons in the fourth as a three point play from Brown and a nifty reverse layup from Elina Briede opened up a 63-29 lead for FSW.  Sarah Owona led a three on two break and scored to make it a 71-36 game midway through the fourth and the Bucs would go on to win it 76-51 at the final horn. 

 

Brown led the Bucs with 17 points on 7 of 9 shooting while Cergneux posted a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double off the FSW bench in 22 minutes of action. 

 

The Bucs improve to 17-4 overall and 11-1 in Citrus Conference play while Daytona loses their fifth straight to fall to 5-17 overall and 2-10 in league action. 

 

The win sets up a marquee matchup in the Bucs next game as they travel to Melbourne to take on #21 Eastern Florida in a 5:30 PM tip in a game that will have major consequences in the race for the 2025 Citrus Conference Championship.