WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. –The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team returned to its winning ways on Monday night against Johnson University.
In its last game at Rubin Arena before the new year, PBA (7-3, 1-2 Sunshine State Conference) bounced back from its Saturday loss by beating up on Johnson (4-11), 93-54. The suffocating defense of the Sailfish held the Suns to 28 percent shooting from the field. PBA also forced the visitors into making 25 turnovers leading to 29 Sailfish points.
Justin Nichelson led the 'Fish with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. The duo of
Darhius Nunn and
Jules Jasmin were right behind Nichelson with 18 points each. Nunn also tallied six assists while Jasmin added eight rebounds.
Malek Barber finished with a season-high 10 rebounds and seven points.
The Sailfish got out to a strong start to the game, going on an 11-0 run after the opening tip, including five points from Jasmin. PBA wasted no time building a lead as the Sailfish led 24-6 after the first 10 minutes. A 9-5 run by the Suns helped Johnson cut into the deficit, but a layup by
Aleksa Rakic made it 39-23 going into halftime.
Johnson came out of the break firing on all cylinders. A 7-2 run by the Suns made it 41-33 at the 16-minute mark. PBA responded minutes later with a 12-2 run including five points by Nunn. PBA continued to build its lead as a 15-0 run at the eight-minute mark thanks to seven points by Nichelson which gave the Sailfish an 82-45 lead.
Johnson was unable to recover as PBA cruised to a 93-54 win. PBA shot 48 percent in the contest and shot 86 percent from the free throw line which is its best performance of the season from the charity stripe. The 'Fish won the battle of the boards 52-41, including 15 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points. PBA has its way down low finishing with 50 points in the paint.
Thomas Datka made his PBA debut, playing in 14 minutes. He finished with four rebounds, two points and one assist.
The Sailfish will compete in the Cruzin Classic on Thursday, Dec. 19. in a game against Washburn. The game against Fort Lauderdale will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
