WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team resumed its season on Black Friday, hosting the University of Fort Lauderdale at Rubin Arena.

Today's game was the first time in history PBA (3-2, 1-0 SSC) has faced off Fort Lauderdale (3-6) in men's basketball. After taking a 15-point lead in the first half, the Sailfish held on to win their third consecutive game, defeating the Eagles 92-71. The Sailfish were on fire from downtown, shooting 58 percent from three on 24 attempts in the game.

Jalen Cooper led PBA with a 20-point performance along with five rebounds and five assists with three triples. Alexander Gorton totaled 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers and grabbing five rebounds. Will Lee totaled 14 points, four assists, and three rebounds, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. Marcus Montalvo added eight points with six rebounds off the bench. Senior Jules Jasmin tallied seven points with four rebounds.

The Eagles hung with the Sailfish through the first 10 minutes of play as Fort Lauderdale's physical defense forced several PBA turnovers. The Sailfish began to pull away at the seven-minute mark. A 3-pointer by Cooper kickstarted an 8-0 run, allowing PBA to take a 31-20 lead with three minutes left in the period. The three of PBA's final four buckets of the first half all came from beyond the arc. Treys from Gorton, Lee, and Cooper allowed the 'Fish to take a 42-27 lead at the break.

Cooper had 13 of his 20 points in the first half. The Sailfish outrebounded Fort Lauderdale 21-13 in the first half. The stingy PBA defense held the Eagles to 35 percent shooting from the field.

PBA extended its lead to 20 throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half. Cooper made a highlight-reel putback dunk followed by a made layup by Jakob Hester which gave the 'Fish a 60-40 advantage. The Sailfish kept their distance for the rest of the half. An old-fashioned three-point play from Jayden Iturmendi gave the Sailfish an 80-55 lead with four and a half minutes remaining. With two and a half minutes left, a free throw from Cooper gave PBA its largest lead of the game, an 86-60 advantage. The Sailfish cruised until the end, finishing with the 92-71 win.

PBA outshot Fort Lauderdale in the game, shooting 57 percent compared to just 39 percent for the Eagles. The Sailfish chased the Eagles off the 3-point line, forcing them to shoot just 19 percent from deep. PBA moved the ball well with 27 of their 35 field goals involving an assist.

The Sailfish face a tough test on Saturday in the form of Valdosta State. The Blazers are ranked No. 20 in the NABC top-25 and are receiving votes in the D2SIDA top-25 poll. Tomorrow's game at Rubin Arena takes place at 4 p.m.