FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Let the madness of March begin. The top-ranked and top-seeded Nova Southeastern Sharks Men’s Basketball team opened tournament time with a resounding 92-72 victory over the Eckerd Tritons in the Sunshine State Conference tournament quarterfinal round. Led by 16 points by MJ Iraldi, five Sharks scored in double-digits in the effort: Shane Hunter (14), Isaiah Fuller (13), Trey Doomes (14) and GianFranco Grafals (10). Nova Southeastern has won 59 consecutive games at the Rick Case Arena, dating back to February 2020.
Records: No. 1 Nova Southeastern 25-2, 18-2 SSC | Eckerd 13-16, 8-12 SSC
Score: No. 1 Nova Southeastern 92 | Eckerd 72
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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First Half – GianFranco Grafals capped off a game-opening 8-4 run for the Sharks, making a fast-break lay-up off an assist from Ryan Walsh. Nova Southeastern then rallied for a 13-2 run, creating separation on the scoreboard in the early minutes of the first half, taking a 21-6 lead. During the run for NSU, Isaiah Fuller added seven points, leading the charge for the Sharks. Midway through the first half, Ryan Davis went coast-to-coast following a steal and added a fast-break lay-up, putting NSU ahead 27-9. Eckerd cut the Sharks lead to 30-20, but buckets from Walsh and Trey Doomes halted the Tritons momentum. Nova Southeastern went into halftime leading 48-22.
Second Half – Doomes scored back-to-back buckets, including a fast-break dunk, putting the NSU advantage at 58-33. A few moments later, Hunter tallied six consecutive points for the Sharks, taking advantage inside the paint, extending the Nova Southeastern lead to 66-39. NSU led by over 20-points for the remainder of the game, sealing the 92-72 victory over Eckerd in the Sunshine State Conference quarterfinals. NSU dominated the transition game, outscoring Eckerd 38-9 off of turnovers. The Sharks’ bench, led by 13 from Doomes, outscored Eckerd’s 38-12. Nova Southeastern also dominated inside the paint, totaling 48 points in the victory.
MJ Iraldi: 16 points, five rebounds, four steals
Shane Hunter: 14 points, two blocks
Trey Doomes: 13 points, six steals, five rebounds
Head Coach Jim Crutchfield – “i really liked our defensive intensity tonight both in the full and half court. Despite being the eighth-seed, Eckerd is a talented, well-coached team.
The top-seeded Sharks host the semi-final round of the Sunshine State Conference tournament on Thursday, March 7th, taking on the Lynn Fighting Knights. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Rick Case Arena. To purchase tickets, click here. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Men’s Basketball throughout their tournament run, be sure to follow on Instagram & X at NSU_MBasketball.
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