WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team returned home to face Walsh in a Sunday afternoon non-conference matchup.

After a slow start, the Sailfish offense got going in a big way. PBA (5-5, 1-3 SSC) converted on 11 threes, shooting 49 percent from three and 54 percent from the floor. Bryce Laskey scored 17 of his team-high 19 points in the second half, helping lift the Sailfish to a 73-62 win over Walsh (5-6, 2-2 GMAC).

Laskey's 19 points included three 3-pointers in addition to six rebounds. Will Lee totaled 14 points with four triples. Jalen Cooper recorded 13 points with four rebounds and four blocks. Marcus Montalvo tallied 11 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. Ryan Claflin and Aleksa Rakic finished with seven points each. 

Walsh was the more energetic team at tip-off. The Cavaliers hit PBA early with several 3-pointers of their own with Montalvo being the only Sailfish to score in the first nine minutes of action. Walsh led 19-7 near the midway point in the period. A big dunk and a 3-pointer from Cooper sparked a comeback in the 'Fish, working their way back to tie the game at 27 after a 3-pointer from Lee.

A free throw and 3-pointer by Claflin, followed by a layup from Lee gave PBA a 33-29 lead with two minutes to play in the period. Walsh hit a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game. The Cavaliers nearly took the lead at the buzzer, but a made layup was deemed late by the officials.

The contest remained tightly contested through the first 10 minutes of the second half. A layup from Walsh brought the game to a 52-52 tie with just over 10 minutes to play. That's when Laskey really began to heat up. A 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper from the Pennsylvania native started an 11-0 run over a three-minute stretch for PBA. Another triple around the 4-minute mark gave the 'Fish a 68-56 lead, their largest advantage of the day.

Laskey scored PBA's last 10 points of the game, closing out the 73-62 win with a pair of free throws. The Cavaliers shot 31 percent in the second half.

The stingy Sailfish defense held Walsh to a 37 percent field-goal percentage in the game. Both teams did a solid job of taking care of the ball, totaling 17 turnovers combined in the game. PBA came out on top in the rebounding battle, 34-30.

PBA takes a break for Christmas before playing again on December 29, resuming its conference schedule. The Sailfish take on Tampa on the road at 7:30 p.m.