WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team picked up its second straight win, defeating Clark Atlanta on the road on Monday night.
The suffocating Sailfish defense held Clark Atlanta to just 35 percent shooting from the field and forced 14 turnovers. On the offensive end, PBA was led by
Jules Jasmin, who tied a career-high with 28 points which helped lift the 'Fish over the Panthers, 81-72. Jasmin also grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with his first double-double of the season.
Clark Atlanta held the lead through most of the first half, but the Sailfish were right on its heels. The Panther lead never got above five, and with about five minutes left in the first half PBA regained the lead thanks to a breakaway dunk by
Aleksa Rakic off of a
Darhius Nunn takeaway. Both teams traded leads before PBA ended the half on a 5-2 run as two made free throws by Jasmin and a block at the buzzer by Nunn, gave the 'Fish a 44-42 advantage at the half.
Jasmin got 19 of his 28 points in the first half. The Sailfish seemed to solve their problems at the charity stripe, going 9-of-10 from the free throw line. PBA shot 49 percent from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc going 3-of-11 in the half.
PBA carried its momentum into the second half, scoring the first two buckets out of the break. The Sailfish tried to pull away as a 3-pointer from
Malek Barber gave PBA its largest lead of the game so far, making it 63-55 with 10 minutes remaining.
Slowly but surely, Clark Atlanta fought its way back. A 7-2 run from the Panthers with six minutes remaining, tied the game at 68. PBA may have bent, but the Sailfish never broke. With the score tied at 70,
Alexander Gorton made a free throw and a 3-pointer to give the Sailfish some breathing room. Barber and
Dan Largey helped slam the door with two made jump shots and
De'Ondre Jackson and Nunn iced the game at the free-throw line as PBA ended the half on a 11-2 run in the final three minutes, leading to the 81-72 win.
Jackson was right behind Jasmin in scoring, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds and two assists. The duo carried the load on offense as Jasmin and Jackson were the only Sailfish to reach double-digit scoring. Nunn finished with nine points, eight assists and eight rebounds while making his presence felt on defense with four steals.
PBA will continue its road trip on Wednesday with a matchup against Tuskegee. The tip-off in Alabama is scheduled for 1 p.m.
