FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The second-ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks Men’s Basketball held off Sunshine State Conference rival Florida Tech on Wednesday evening, as the Sharks avenged a SSC loss against the Panthers with a 73-70 victory at the Rick Case Arena.
Nova Southeastern has now won 55 consecutive games at the Rick Case Arena, dating back to the 2019-20 season.
Records: No. 2 Nova Southeastern 18-2, 12-2 SSC | Florida Tech 12-8, 5-8 SSC
Score: No. 2 Nova Southeastern 73 | Florida Tech 70
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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First Half – The Sharks got off to an early advantage, taking a 7-1 lead over the Panthers, as Ryan Walsh, Ryker Cisarik, Shane Hunter and Isaiah Fuller got involved in the opening minutes. The contest turned into a defensive and physical struggle for most of the first half, but the Sharks were able to open a 16-6 lead following a MJ Iraldi three-pointer midway through the period. Nova Southeastern was able to pull away, maintaining a double-digit advantage into the halftime break, leading 36-24.
Second Half – Following the break, both the Sharks and Panthers traded buckets back-and-forth to begin the second half, but NSU took a 51-35 lead after five straight points from Alex Mangold. Florida Tech battled back into the game before taking a 61-60 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the match-up. Hunter and Fuller combined to hit four straight free throws, putting NSU ahead 66-61 with 3:20 left on the clock. A few moments later, the Panthers went on a brief, 5-0 run, tying the game at 66-66. Iraldi put NSU in front with a lay-up and Fuller sealed the game with the final five points for the Sharks, as NSU hung on to beat Florida Tech 73-70.
In other Sunshine State Conference action, Florida Southern (10-4 SSC) was defeated by Embry-Riddle 97-90 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Sharks now hold a two-game lead in the Sunshine State Conference standings with six games remaining in the regular season.
Isaiah Fuller: 16 points, three steals, 5-6 FT
Shane Hunter: 15 points, two blocks, seven rebounds, 5-6 FT
Alex Mangold: 10 points, 3-3 FG
GianFranco Grafals: 10 points, 4-5 FG
No. 2 Nova Southeastern travels to take on Embry-Riddle in Sunshine State Conference action on Saturday, February 10th. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
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