FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team traveled to Nova Southeastern to play its first conference game of the season on Wednesday night.

The Sailfish faced a tough road test in the form of the Sharks who are ranked No. 6 in the NABC top-25 and No. 11 in the D2SIDA top-25. Nova Southeastern's (4-0, 2-0 SSC) high-pressure defense forced PBA (3-4, 1-1 SSC) out of its comfort zone. The 'Fish were only outscored by two points in the second half, but they were unable to overcome the double-digit deficit they faced after the first period. PBA lost its first conference game of the 2021-22 campaign, 95-78.

Marcus Montalvo and Nate Ward scored 14 points each off the bench to lead PBA in scoring. Montalvo did damage from beyond the arc, knocking down four triples as Ward went 5-for-7 from the field with five rebounds. Jules Jasmin led the Sailfish starters with 11 points. Jakob Hester and Jalen Cooper tied each other with nine points each. Cooper snagged six rebounds with two blocks and two steals. Will Lee finished with seven points and five assists. Ivan Raut made his PBA debut, scoring seven points with two rebounds.

The Sailfish got off to a slow start allowing Nova Southeastern to seize all the momentum from the opening tip. The Shark's full-court press forced a frantic pace and caused 20 PBA turnovers in the first half. The miscues led to 20 points off turnovers in the period for the hosts. NSU jumped out to a quick 18-point lead to put PBA behind a challenge early. The Sailfish never let the game get completely out of hand. A bucket from Montalvo with two minutes left in the half cut the deficit to 11. Unfortunately for PBA, the Sharks ended the half with four straight free throws to take a 46-31 lead into the half.

PBA made a mini-run early in the second half to try to get back into the game. A layup from Alexander Gorton and an old-fashion three-point play by Jasmin made it a 12-point game with 14 minutes left. NSU shut down any thought of a complete comeback to the 'Fish. Their constant pressure continued to force PBA turnovers, preventing the 'Fish from getting back into the game. The Sharks held off the 'Fish for a 95-78 win.

Despite the score, PBA did outshoot the Sharks, 49 percent to 46 percent. PBA even shot an efficient 58 percent as a team in the second half. Unfortunately for the 'Fish, PBA ended with 32 turnovers compared to 14 for NSU, leading to 31 points for the Sharks. The Sharks also grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, leading to 15 second-chance points.  

The Sailfish continue SSC play this weekend with a game against Florida Southern. The contest in Lakeland, Fla. takes place at 7:30 p.m.