LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 2 Nova Southeastern men's basketball won its 20th game of the season on Saturday evening, defeating Sunshine State Conference opponent Florida Southern 114-107. The 7-point victory was the slimmest of the season for the Sharks. All five starters for NSU scored at least 17 points with Jonathan Pierre leading the way with 26 points on 64% from the field.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Records: No. 2 Nova Southeastern 20-0, 13-0 SSC | Florida Southern 13-7, 7-6 SSC
Score: No. 2 Nova Southeastern 114, Florida Southern 107
Location: Jenkins Field House | Lakeland, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half – NSU got off to a slow start, trailing 2-7 before RJ Sunahara, Kobe Rodgers and Will Yoakum helped shorten the score to 8-9. The Sharks tied the game on a paint jumper from Sunahara and then took its first lead of the game on a steal-and-score from Rodgers to make it 16-14. Nova Southeastern went on a 13-4 run capped by a three-ball from Graziani that gave NSU a 34-26 advantage with just over 8 minutes remaining. Rodgers caught fire towards the end of the first, scoring 8 of the Sharks' next 10 points and putting NSU on top 46-39. The Sharks and Mocs exchanged buckets for the last three minutes, but a foul-and-free throw by Yoakum put NSU into halftime with a 59-50 lead.
Second Half – Florida Southern came out strong, hitting back-to-back three pointers before a paint jumper by Pierre ended the run. The Mocs tied the game 65-65, but Graziani hit a three-pointer that regained the lead for the Sharks. Nova Southeastern gained momentum and went on a 12-5 run that was led by six points from Sunahara, giving NSU an 80-71 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining. Pierre took control of the game, scoring 7 of the next 9 points, and capped off a 5-0 run with a fastbreak dunk to put NSU up 94-80. Florida Southern battled back throughout the second half, bringing the score to within four points, 105-101, with just over 90 seconds remaining. Out of a timeout, Pierre hit a dagger three-pointer to make the score 108-101 and NSU was critical at the free throw line down the stretch. Five consecutive made free throws from Rodgers, Sunahara and Pierre closed out a 114-107 win for the 20-0 Sharks.
STATS OF THE NIGHT
- The starting five (Graziani, Rodgers, Yoakum, Pierre, Sunahara) combined for 95% of the Sharks' points in the victory.
- The 7-point margin is NSU's narrowest of the season.
- Nova Southeastern forced 30 turnovers in the win.
UPCOMING
No. 2 Nova Southeastern returns to Rick Case Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 1 to take on Palm Beach Atlantic in a SSC showdown. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
