BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team pushed NCAA Division I Florida Atlantic to its limit in an exhibition game on Saturday.
 
Two made free throws by Darhius Nunn gave PBA (3-1) its first lead since the opening minutes of the game with just over two minutes remaining in the second half. The free throws capped off a 6-0 Sailfish run as PBA tried to pull off the upset against FAU (2-2).
 
FAU regained the lead shortly before a 3-pointer from Malek Barber made it 76-74 PBA with a minute and a half remaining. Unfortunately for the Sailfish, the Owls finished the game on a 10-3 run to avoid the upset, with FAU winning 84-79.
 
The Sailfish kept a balance attack on offense with five players scoring in double digits. Dan Largey and De'Ondre Jackson led with 16 points each. Nunn totaled 14 points and seven assists while Jules Jasmin and Aleksa Rakic totaled 10 point each.
 
After getting out to a quick lead to start the game, the Sailfish trailed for the rest of the first half; however, PBA never let the lead get out of control. The 'Fish continued to hang around with 12 points being the highest deficit PBA faced in the half. A dunk from Jasmin, a layup from Casey Carpinello and two made free throws from Nunn made it 47-39 FAU.
 
PBA started the second half with a pair of threes from Jackson and Largey to largely erase the Owl advantage. The hosts responded with a 11-3 run to gain some breathing room. The Owls kept their distance until the nine-minute mark when the Sailfish began their run. 
 
With FAU leading 70-64, Rakic hit a 3-pointer to make it a one possession game. Several possessions later, a layup from Largey brought the score to 72-71 FAU before Nunn's free throws that regained the lead for the Sailfish. The game got sloppier down the stretch as both teams struggled to take care of the ball. PBA had a strong showing, but ultimately fell short 84-79.
 
The Sailfish were outrebounded 43-29, allowing 16 offensive rebounds which led to 19 second-chance points for the Owls. PBA shot 48 percent from the field while going 12-for-30 performance from beyond the 3-point line. The 'Fish shot a scorching 7-of-11 from downtown in the second half.
 
The Sailfish resume their regular season next week with their first conference game of the season against Eckerd on Saturday. The game marks the first home game for PBA and will tip-off at 3 p.m.