FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – It will be a South Florida showdown with a spot to the NCAA South Region Championship on the line, the second-ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks Men’s Basketball team will play Sunshine State Conference rival Lynn on Sunday evening at the Rick Case Arena.
The Sharks began tournament play with a 76-64 victory over eighth-seeded Savannah State Tigers. It was the second lowest scoring performance of the 2024-25 season for NSU, but all five starters for the Sharks scored in double figures.
No. 2 Nova Southeastern (31-1) | Sunshine State Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champions
The Sharks improved to 18-3 in the NCAA Tournament under Head Coach Jim Crutchfield and won the program’s 82nd consecutive home game – extending the NCAA Division II record – defeating Savannah State in the first round of the tournament. The 76 points marked NSU’s second lowest point total in a single game on the 2024-25 season.
MJ Iraldi, the Sunshine State Conference and D2 CCA South Region Player of the Year, led Nova Southeastern in the win, scoring 17 points and adding eight rebounds. Alex Mangold and Tyler Eberhart both put together solid games, as each recorded 11 points and eight rebounds.
NSU has won 10 consecutive games against Lynn dating back to February 12, 2020. During the two regular season contests between the SSC foes, Iraldi averaged 31.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Ryker Cisarik, whose presence was missed in the opening round of NCAA tournament, totaled 45 points and 15 rebounds against the Fighting Knights.
Lynn (21-8)
In the first year under the direction of Head Coach Bill Morosco, the Lynn Men’s Basketball program recorded 20 wins for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Fighting Knights rank 12th nationally in scoring margin, which ranks second in the SSC behind the NSU Sharks (1st/+24.7).
Lynn is led by All-Sunshine State Conference first-team honoree Leo Beath, who has averaged 18.1 points and 9.1 rebounds throughout the campaign. Beath was one of ten players in NCAA Division II to record a triple-double this season, doing so against Florida Tech on February 12.
The Fighting Knights defeated No. 15 Valdosta State 86-74 on Saturday night in the final game of the NCAA South Region Tournament’s first round. Lynn led for over 35 minutes of game action and shot 51.6% from the field as a team. Leo Beath recorded a double-double, scoring 22 points and adding 11 rebounds.
It’s the Sharks. It’s the Fighting Knights. It’s the NCAA South Region Tournament semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Rick Case Arena. To purchase tickets, click here. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Men’s Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram & X at NSU_MBasketball.
