Fort Myers, FL- On Saturday, the Saints traveled south to face ranked #24 Florida Southwestern State College. The Buccaneers came into this matchup with a 20-6 record. The Saints were at 10-16 at the start of this contest. Both teams were eager and determined for another conference win. The Buccaneers came into the game strong causing the Saints to trail most of the game. Saints lose the contest 79-57.

How It Happened

It was a defensive battle for the first ten minutes with FSW stretching the lead to 10 points by halftime (27-37). Ashton Lovette recorded three steals and two blocks, Karmello Branch also recorded two steals and two blocks.

Santa Fe struggled to get open shots and shot just 31% from the field and 1-13 from the 3-point line.  Ashton Lovette kept the Saints within striking distance making key shots. Lovette hit two triples in the second half. He led the Saints in scoring with 15 points. Macius Trowe added 11 points, while Karmello Branch scored 11 points.

The Saints came out of the locker room playing hard and cut the Bucs lead to 4 points, causing them to take a timeout. FSW regained their poise and used their size and 3-point shooting to steadily pull away to a 22 point victory.

The two leading scorers for the Bucs was Jaehshon Thomas with 23 points and Tyrone Baker with 20 points. Lovette hit two free throws to cut down the lead to 13. The Bucs then went on a 9-0 run to close the game 79-57.

Quote From Coach Mowry

"FSW has an outstanding team and they were able to wear us down as the game went on. Their defense really made it hard for us to get any open looks. I thought we gave great effort and fought hard for 40 minutes. We look forward to playing at home Wednesday night against St. Pete." 

Up Next

The Saints will play Saint Petersburg College at Home on February 28^th.  Tip-off is set for 7PM EST.