FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team faced No. 20 Nova Southeastern in the Sunshine State Conference semifinals on Thursday night.
PBA (21-9, 13-7 SSC) hung around with the Sharks for the majority of the game, but ultimately succumbed to injuries and the sharpshooting from NSU (23-5, 16-6 SSC) in the second half, resulting in a 93-78 win for the Sharks. The hosts shot 53 percent from 3-point range in the second half which put the game out of reach.
Dan Largey led the Sailfish with 25 points with four 3-pointers and three rebounds.
Darhius Nunn stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
De'Ondre Jackson and
Jules Jasmin finished with nine points each. Jasmin had six rebounds while Jackson had five rebounds.
PBA shot the ball well out of the gates with 3-pointers from Nunn, Jackson and Largey giving the 'Fish a quick 16-7 lead. Largey had his first 14 points through the first 11 minutes of action. PBA led for most of the first half, but NSU began to make its run towards the end of the period.
With five minutes remaining, a 6-0 run from the Sharks gave the hosts a 33-30 lead. The NSU lead reached eight before a 3-pointer by Largey made it 42-37 NSU at the half.
The Sailfish erased the deficit early in the second half, but with the game tied at 46, NSU went on a 10-0 run to retake control of the game. PBA answered with an 8-0 run to cut the lead to two, but NSU pulled away for good after a 19-6 run gave the hosts an 89-72 lead. The Sharks were able to cruise for the rest of the game, leading to the 93-78 win.
NSU won the battle of the boards 42-35, including 17 offensive rebounds for the Sharks. This led to 22 second-chance points for NSU. The Sharks also outscored PBA in points in the paint, 42-32. The hosts also benefitted from 18 points off Sailfish turnovers.
The Sharks will face Florida Southern in Lakeland, Fla. for the SSC Championship on Sunday. The Sailfish will find out their fate for NCAA DII Regionals on Sunday night during the NCAA DII selection show.
