MIAMI SHORES, Fla. (Jan. 16, 2010) - A three-pointer by Rob Huntington with 3.2 second remaining capped a Nova Southeastern comeback over Barry in a Sunshine State Conference match-up on Saturday evening. The three-pointer was the exclamation point on a 19 point rally and gave the Sharks their first lead since going ahead 3-2 to start the game. The 74-72 victory improves NSU's record to 9-6 overall and 3-3 in SSC play while Barry falls to 11-4 overall and 3-2 in SSC play.
"We had two good practices this week and were feeling good coming into this game," said NSU head coach Gary Tuell. "Barry came out and hurt our feeling in the first half. They're the best team other than Miami that we have played this year. They are disciplined, athletic, have multiple weapons and are by far and away the best defensive team. But you have to give our kids the credit. They hung in there and kept plugging away. We found a successful group and went with them for the final seven minutes."
NSU struggled to find its offensive rhythm early in the game, making just two of their first 12 shots in addition to nine turnovers in the first ten minutes. The slow start allowed Barry to race out to a 19 point lead (28-9) with 8:37 remaining in the first half. The Buccaneers led 43-29 at intermission. Junior guard John Brooks (Riverside, Calif.) and sophomore center Rob Huntington (Perth, Australia) led the Sharks with five points apiece. Evan White was 4-4 from the floor, including 3-3 on three pointers to lead Barry with 12 points.
The Sharks improved their shooting and stepped up their defensive intensity in the second half. NSU also had multiple players come up with make plays in the winning effort.
"Lemar (Dyer) made the play of the game," said Tuell. "He was our MVP. He grabbed a key offensive rebound, came up with a steal that led to a fast break and hit a big three. He also anticipated how the final play would happen and executed it beautifully. Alex (Gynes) really came alive in the second half. Brian Cahill brought a spark and was more aggressive in the second half. He has a knack for picking everyone else up. Those two guys helped a lot."
Dyer (Jr., Miami, Fla.) finished the game with seven points, six rebounds and three assists. Gynes (Jr., Nowra, Australia) posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Cahill (Fr., Arlington, Va.) had three points, four rebounds and five assists. Brooks tied for the team lead with 16 points.
The Sharks return home to host Palm Beach Atlantic at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, January 20th inside the Don Taft University Center.
