Box Score

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s basketball team picked up its first home loss Monday evening against the Flagler Saints, 85-76.

After missing two starts and one game, Alex Gynes (Sr., Nowra, Australia) returned to the Shark (3-2) starting five against the undefeated Saints (5-0). Gynes pulled down a team-high seven boards to go with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting. John Brooks (Sr., Perris, Calif.) led all Sharks in points with 20 on 4-for-8 shooting from the perimeter. Lemar Dyer (Sr., Miami, Fla.) dished out a team-high six assists and two steals.

After nine days off, the Sharks did not look rusty as they took a big lead at the start of the game. The Sharks never trailed in the first half and marched out to a 10-2 lead. The Saints immediately cut the lead to a single possession but the Sharks answered back with a 6-0 run. The lead would equal the Sharks’ largest of the game as the Saints maintained a single digit deficit over the entire period.

Robert Huntington (Jr., Perth, Australia) scored eight of his 10 points in the first half on 3-for-4 shooting. Jacob Reed (Fr., Perth, Australia) made his Shark debut against the Saints and picked up three assists in the opening period.

The Sharks had a disappointing second half in which they were outscored by 12 points. The Saints started the half on a 9-3 run and tied the game for the first time with 15 minutes remaining. The Sharks did not give up the lead over the next seven minutes as the teams traded three point baskets. Brooks scored 10 of his team’s 16 points over that stretch.

NSU gave up the lead with 7:54 remaining when Flagler’s Ryan Barnes hit his second straight three-pointer. The Saints would end the game outscoring the Sharks, 17-11. D.J. Ferguson led the Saints with a game-high 14 assists.

The Sharks will embark on a three-game road trip that begins this Friday, Dec. 3 in Valdosta, Ga. when the Sharks take on Alabama-Huntsville in the Loop Pizza Grill Classic at 6 p.m.