FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The top-ranked Nova Southeastern Sharks Men’s Basketball run in the NCAA Tournament officially began on Saturday evening, as the Sharks emerged victorious over the eighth-seeded Benedict Tigers with a 115-95 win on Saturday evening at the Rick Case Arena. Led by 20 points from All-Sunshine State Conference and D2CCA All-South Region first-team member Shane Hunter, 12 Sharks scored in the win. Alex Mangold recorded a double-double off the bench for the Sharks, scoring 11 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
NSU currently holds a 16-game winning streak and the program has won 62 consecutive games at the Rick Case Arena dating back to February 2020.
Records: No. 1 Nova Southeastern 28-2 | (8) Benedict 23-8
Score: No. 1 Nova Southeastern 115 | (8) Benedict 95
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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First Half – Benedict got off to a quick start in the NCAA South Region contest against the Sharks, hitting each of their first six shots and took a 15-6 lead over the Sharks. Alex Mangold knocked down his first three-pointer of the game, which was followed by a fast-break layup by GianFranco Grafals, as NSU cut the deficit to 15-11. Isaiah Fuller scored five consecutive points for the Sharks, tying the game at 19-19 after finishing off an and-one opportunity. Nearing the midway point of the opening half, Ryan Walsh added another three-point bucket for NSU, extending the lead to 28-24. With 6:05 remaining in the half, the Tigers clung to a 38-36 lead, but a layup by Grafals, followed by three consecutive three-pointers by Mangold and Mike Moore sparked an incredible 27-0 run by Nova Southeastern – spanning five minutes of gametime – gave NSU a 63-38 lead. The Sharks went into the break leading 68-41, closing the final six minutes of the half with a 32-3 run.
Second Half – Nova Southeastern maintained the momentum into the second half, as Moore added another three-pointer and gave the Sharks a 81-49 lead over the Tigers. NSU was able to maintain a 27+ advantage for much of the remainder of the game. Trey Doomes added a dunk, as the Sharks surpassed the 100-point mark with over seven minutes left in the game. Nova Southeastern closed out the 115-95 victory, advancing to the semifinal round of the NCAA South Region Tournament. The 115 points by NSU was the most points scored in the opening round of the NCAA Division II tournament.
Shane Hunter: 20 points, seven rebounds, 7-9 FG
Isaiah Fuller: 16 points, 7-10 FG, four rebounds, four assists
GianFranco Grafals: 19 points, 7-11 FG, six rebounds, two steals
Alex Mangold: 11 points, 12 rebounds, 3-6 3PT
No. 1 Nova Southeastern advanced to the NCAA South Region Tournament Semifinals and the Sharks will take on Sunshine State Conference rival and fourth-seeded Embry-Riddle at the Rick Case Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Men’s Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram and X at NSU_MBasketball.
