WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team played its last home game of 2021 on Sunday against Walsh. Today's matchup was the first time the two schools have faced off in men's basketball in PBA's DII-era.

After playing behind for most of the ball game, PBA almost completed its comeback down the stretch against the Cavaliers. The 'Fish trailed by two with nine seconds left in the contest and had to go the length of the court. PBA (4-8, 2-2 SSC) broke the Walsh (7-3, 3-1 GMAC) press and got a good look for Marcus Montalvo, but his jumper fell short as time expired. The Sailfish came up short against the Cavaliers, 67-65.

Jules Jasmin led PBA with 20 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field with four rebounds. Jakob Hester finished with 15 points shooting 4-for-5 from the field and 7-for-9 from the free-throw line with two blocks. Will Lee added 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds and three assists. Montalvo tallied nine points off the bench with three 3-pointers.

The Sailfish got off to a slow start in the game. Walsh started the game on a 10-2 run. PBA didn't have its best shooting performance but did most of its damage at the line. Free throws helped get the offense going for the 'Fish in the first half. A layup from Nate Ward made it 17-14 Walsh through the first 10 minutes of play. The Cavaliers took a 10-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half, but the 'Fish rallied with a 10-0 run including a 3-minute scoring drought for the visitors. A bucket from Jasmin tied the game at 26 with four minutes to play in the first. Walsh took advantage of some missed PBA free throws to take a 38-32 lead at the half.

PBA kept the game close throughout the second half but was missing the large run to take a lead of its own. Every time the Sailfish closed the gap to one possession, Walsh answered with a small run of its own to keep the 'Fish at arm's length.

Things looked bleak for PBA as a pair of free throws by Walsh gave the visitors an eight-point lead with a minute and a half remaining. The Sailfish kept fighting, going on a 6-0 run, including a step-back 3-pointer and free throws from Lee, in less than a minute to make it 67-65. The 'Fish got the stop they needed on the defensive end but came one basket short of completing the comeback. Walsh held on to win, 67-65.

The Sailfish did a good job of taking care of the ball, totaling eight turnovers in the game while forcing Walsh into turning it over 10 times. The Cavaliers came out on top of the rebounding battle, 41-31. PBA shot 20-for-30 at the free-throw line, finishing at 67 percent.

PBA takes the week off for Christmas and does not compete again until New Year's Eve. The game on Dec. 31 against Saint Leo takes place at 2 p.m.