FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For the fourth time in program history, the No. 1 Nova Southeastern Sharks Men’s Basketball team has punched its ticket to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Indiana, defeating Sunshine State Conference rival Florida Southern 98-66 in the NCAA South Region Championship at the Rick Case Arena on Tuesday evening.
Shane Hunter (Most Valuable Player) and MJ Iraldi were named to the All-South Region Tournament team.
The Sharks have won 64 consecutive games at the Rick Case Arena, dating back to February 2020.
Records: (1) No. 1 Nova Southeastern 30-2 |(3) Florida Southern 23-10
Score: (1) No. 1 Nova Southeastern 98 | (3) Florida Southern 66
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Instagram & X – NSU_MBasketball
First Half – The third match-up between the Sharks and Mocs lived up to its competitive billing early on, as the Sunshine State rivals traded baskets back-and-forth in the opening minutes. Following a three-pointer from Mike Moore, Trey Doomes recorded back-to-back buckets putting the Sharks ahead 15-11. A few moments later, Isaiah Fuller added four consecutive points for NSU, extending the lead to 23-15. Midway through the first half, Alex Mangold put the Sharks in front 27-21 following a fast-break dunk, off an assist from Moore. Moore extended the Nova Southeastern lead to 40-29, finishing off a four-point play, after draining a three-pointer and getting fouled. In the closing seconds of the half, Fuller sent the Sharks into the break leading 50-39, beating the buzzer with a pull-up jumper.
Second Half – Following the break, Ryan Davis recorded the first four points of the second half for the Sharks, while also adding a steal, extending NSU’s lead to 54-39. Later in the half, following another steal from Davis, Ryker Cisarik added a dunk, putting the Sharks ahead 66-52. MJ Iraldi netted a three-point bucket, extending the lead to 69-52, and making it out of reach for the Mocs. Doomes tallied five straight points for NSU, as the Sharks continued to stretch their lead and pull away from Florida Southern, with a 76-54 lead. As the clock wound down, the Sharks continued to maintain their advantage. Tommy Sala tallied the final five points for NSU, as Nova Southeastern punched the program’s fourth trip in program history to Evansville for the Elite Eight.
MJ Iraldi: 15 points, six rebounds, 6-10 FG
Shane Hunter: 14 points, five blocks, five rebounds
Trey Doomes: 19 points, 9-12 FG, six rebounds, two steals
All-Tournament Team
Shane Hunter, Nova Southeastern (MVP)
MJ Iraldi, Nova Southeastern
Akol Arop, Florida Southern
Luke Anderson, Florida Southern
Malcolm Whitlow, Embry-Riddle
Zawdie Jackson, West Georgia
Head Coach Jim Crutchfield – “These guys just continue to surprise me. They’ve really been a fun bunch to coach and be around. That was a really great team win. They finished the regular season strong, played well in the Sunshine State Conference tournament, and now picked it up a notch in regional play. Let’s go to Evansville!”
The Sharks will enter the Elite Eight as the two-seed and draw seventh-seeded Southern New Hampshire, representing the East Region. The Elite Eight will be played on Tuesday, March 26th, tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The full NCAA Division II Elite Eight pairings can be found here. To stay-up-to-date on Sharks Men’s Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram and X at NSU_MBasketball.
