FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Jan. 20, 2010) - The Nova Southeastern University men's basketball team rolled to a 76-68 victory over Palm Beach Atlantic in non-conference action inside the Don Taft University Center on Wednesday evening. The win, NSU's eighth consecutive home victory, improves their record to 10-6 on the season while Palm Beach Atlantic falls to 2-16.

The Sharks were playing without the presence of head coach Gary Tuell, who was unable to attend the game due to the flu. "It was tough," said junior guard John Brooks on the absence of Tuell. "All we were trying to do was to stay focused, execute our plays, keep our identity and win the game for him."

Brooks (Jr., Riverside, Calif.) led the Sharks with 21 points on 7-12 shooting, including 5-7 on three pointers. As a team the Sharks shot 52.6 percent on three-point shots.

"We shot the ball pretty well," said Brooks. "My teammates trust me to take those shots and I feel like I can't let them down. Shooting is about focusing and working hard, getting those extra shots up after practice. It's all confidence when you shoot."

Junior forward Alex Gynes (Nowra, Australia) followed with a 14 point, eight rebound effort. Freshman forward Luke Roesch (Lancaster, Ohio) scored a career high 13 points while adding seven rebounds. Guards Brian Cahill (Fr. Arlington, Va.) and Lemar Dyer (Jr., Miami, Fla.) contributed with five and four assists, respectively.

Palm Beach Atlantic was led by Jonathan Lawrence with 25 points.

"Even though we won, we can play a lot harder than what we showed tonight," Brooks finished. "It was frustrating how we let the lead slip away at the end. We're just trying to work hard, a win is a win."

Nova Southeastern remains at home to host SSC rival Florida Tech at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 23 inside the Don Taft University Center.