Hillsborough Hawks Look to Upset Florida Southwestern State Buccaneers

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Interstat) — The surging Florida Southwestern State Buccaneers, ranked in the latest NJCAA men’s basketball poll, will host the struggling Hillsborough Hawks in a junior college matchup on Saturday, Jan. 10.

The Buccaneers (9-3) enter on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating Polk State 95-81 on Wednesday. Guard Lamont Hartfield led the way with 19 points and three assists, continuing a strong stretch where he has averaged 15.3 points over his last three contests.

Conversely, the Hawks (2-4) are looking to snap a two-game skid following a narrow 71-68 road loss to Miami Dade on Jan. 3. Hillsborough will lean heavily on forward Chandler Davis, who posted a dominant 21-point, 14-rebound double-double in that defeat. Teammates Ramez Zayed (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Manyaka Luma (15 points) provided support, but the Hawks fell short.

The matchup presents a stark contrast in season trajectories. Florida Southwestern State’s record includes quality wins and their losses have been by narrow margins, including a 59-55 defeat to Pensacola State. Hillsborough’s two victories came against Southern Crescent and Odessa in November, but they have since dropped four of five, including double-digit losses to Tallahassee and Northwest Florida State.

Hartfield’s backcourt play will be pivotal for the Buccaneers’ up-tempo offense. For the Hawks, containing him while finding consistent scoring beyond Davis will be critical. Davis and Zayed give Hillsborough a formidable presence on the glass, which could test a Florida Southwestern State team that has shown occasional vulnerability inside.

This game opens the conference slate for both teams. The Buccaneers are heavily favored at home, where they are 5-1 this season. The Hawks aim to defy their early-season record and steal a crucial road win before a rematch in Tampa on Feb. 11.

Tip-off is set for Saturday afternoon at the Buccaneers’ home court in Fort Myers.