Miami Courant

Nova Southeastern University recently issued the following announcement.

Second-half surge lifts No. 1 NSU to 96-76 win over Florida Southern

For the first time since 2019, and second time overall in program history, the Nova Southeastern men's basketball team has clinched the Sunshine State Conference regular season title after beating Florida Southern by a final score of 96-76 in front of the home crowd on Saturday. The Sharks broke open the ball game with an 11-0 run to start the second half, as Sekou Sylla led five players in double figures with another impressive 26-point, 16-rebound performance.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Score: No. 1 Nova Southeastern 96, Florida Southern 76

Records: No. 1 Nova Southeastern (22-0, 17-0 SSC), Florida Southern (12-13, 9-8 SSC)

Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram - @NSU_MBasketball

HOW IT HAPPENED:

1st Half | Both sides traded buckets for much of the first half, as neither team led by more than four points until Eddie Puisis connected on one of his three three-point makes to give the Sharks a 22-17 advantage with 10:17 remaining. An E.J. Dambreville triple helped the Moccasins regain a one-point edge. However, the one-point edge would prove to be the last lead of the evening for FSC. A Sylla lay-in would put NSU back on top 28-27 at the 6:43 mark before RJ Sunahara capped a 7-0 spurt with a finish in transition to extend the margin to six. The lead hit double digits for the first time following another Sylla lay-up, yet a Mocs trey in the final minute of the half narrowed the gap to 44-41. A pair of Sylla free throws in the closing seconds would send the Sharks into the break in front 46-41.

2nd Half | NSU elevated its game in the second half, shooting 62.1% on the offensive end while limiting FSC to just 31.4% from the floor. Sylla kick-started an 11-0 run that spanned the opening 3:32 of the half before Mike Moore converted at the rim to build the cushion to 57-41 in favor of the Sharks. The lead ballooned to 21 following a Moore trey and reached its largest of the contest at 76-50 after the redshirt-sophomore scored again with 11:05 left. Freshman Jonathan Pierre poured in nine of his 14 points in the second half on 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, connecting from deep with 5:59 to go to keep NSU on top 86-62. The Mocs would get as close as 16 the rest of the way, as the Sharks coasted to their 11th 20-plus point victory of the season.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• With the SSC regular season championship locked up, the Sharks will now officially host their SSC Tournament quarterfinal matchup against a to-be-determined opponent on Tues. Mar. 1.
• The Sharks and Mocs have combined to win each of the last three SSC regular season titles.

STATS OF THE NIGHT:

• Sylla's double-double marked his 13th of the season.
• Puisis continues to shoot lights out, recording 17 points of 5-of-9 from the field on Saturday.
• Nick Smith added 12 points and a game-high six assists, with Sunahara chipping in with 11 points and four blocks.
• Sylla converted 10-of-12 attempts at the line, while Sharks attempted 33 free throws as a team.

UP NEXT:

NSU will have a week off before returning to action next Saturday for Senior Day against Rollins. The Sharks will recognize both Puisis and Smith during a pregame ceremony. For complete coverage, visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_MBasketball.

Original source can be found here.