FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Named the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year just 24 hours prior, Sekou Sylla did more than back up the recognition, racking up a monster 33-point, 21-rebound double-double to propel the top-seeded Sharks to a 92-65 rout of Florida Southern in Thursday's SSC Tournament semifinal round. RJ Sunahara poured in 28 points and seven rebounds alongside his frontcourt running mate, as NSU rattled off a 23-0 run in the second half, putting the Sharks within one win of the program's first-ever SSC Tournament title.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 92, Florida Southern 65
Records: Nova Southeastern (27-0), Florida Southern (16-14)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram - @NSU_MBasketball

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1^st Half | NSU raced out to a double-digit advantage after Eddie Puisis connected on his lone field of the night at the 12:02 mark. The lead would reach a dozen just moments later following a Sylla lay-in. However, after being up 23-11 with 10:50 remaining, the Sharks seemingly lost momentum, making just one field goal over a span of 4:48 as FSC ripped off a 17-2 run to grab a 28-25 edge. Sunahara would finally put an end to the stretch with 6:25 remaining in the first half, with NSU responding with six unanswered points to recapture a 31-28 advantage. The ball game sat even at 33-33 with 2:51 left before the break. The final 2:51 would belong to the Sharks, though, with Nick Smith drilling a pair of jumpers before a transition lay-up by Sylla in the closing seconds sent a recharged NSU team into the locker room with a 46-35 lead.

2^nd Half | After the margin was trimmed back to five roughly three minutes into the second half, NSU reopened an 11-point cushion following consecutive makes by Smith, Sylla and Sunahara, who combined for 77 of the Sharks' 92 total points. The margin sat at just seven with 13:12 to go, yet the fun soon ensued. Kicked off by five straight points by Sylla, Sunahara then took over, tallying 14 of the Sharks' next 16 points as part of an extended 23-0 run that ballooned the lead to 83-53 with 6:50 left showing on the clock. The Mocs had no answer for Sunahara, as the redshirt-sophomore connected on a pair of old-fashioned, three-point plays during the stretch before capping the run with back-to-back triples from right in front of the NSU bench. Sylla's final bucket of the night came with 6:07 to go and the Sharks up 31, as both he and Sunahara soon received a well-deserved applause from the crowd, exiting with three minutes still to play.  

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Sylla's 30-point, 20-rebound performance marked the second in program history. The first was recorded by former Shark, Harrison Goodrick, back on Dec. 18, 2016.
• Sunday will be the third trip to the SSC Tournament final for the Sharks in the last four seasons. NSU did not compete in 2020-21.
• NSU is now 3-0 against the Mocs this season, winning each game by an average of 19.0 points.

STATS OF THE NIGHT:

• Smith joined Sylla and Sunahara in double figures, finishing with 16 points, 12 boards, four assists and four steals. The double-double marked his seventh of the season, yet the first of the points-rebounds variety.
• Sylla's double-double streak now sits at six games. Thursday's double-double now gives him 18 for the year.
• NSU outscored FSC in the paint 50-20.
• The Sharks dominated on the glass, winning the rebounding battle by a margin of 52-34.
• NSU limited the Mocs to just 30.3% shooting in the second half.

UP NEXT:
The Sharks will look to hoist the SSC Tournament trophy for the very first time when they host Barry this Sunday at 1 p.m. For complete coverage of the action, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_MBasketball.