Box Score

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s basketball team won its first game of the Trip Sports Cruzin Classic at the NSU Arena at the Don Taft University Center Friday evening, defeating the Northwestern Ohio Racers, 88-73.

Alex Gynes (Sr., Nowra, Australia) went 9-for-9 from the free throw line, becoming the fourth Shark in history to shoot 100 percent from the line on at least nine attempts. He led the Sharks with a team-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Over the last three games Gynes has shot 64 percent from the floor and 88 percent from foul line.

The Sharks (5-4) poured it on the Racers early Friday night and came out to a big lead. Lemar Dyer (Sr., Miami, Fla.) hit the opening shot of the game, giving NSU a lead they would never give up. The Sharks were cruising in the first half and led by as much as 24 points with 2:46 left in the period. The Racers ended the half on a 9-0 run bring their halftime deficit to 13 points.

The Sharks hit nine three-pointers in the first half, the most they have hit in a single half all season. The Racers stayed in the game by nailing eight threes of their own. Max Papendieck (Sr., Adelaide, Australia) and Robert Huntington (Jr., Perth Australia) combined for 11 points off the bench in the first period.

The Racers continued their hot shooting at the start of the second half and eventually cut NSU’s lead to four points on two separate occasions. The Sharks never gave up the lead in the half and finished the game outscoring UNOH 25-14 over the final 12 minutes. Gynes hit all nine of his free throws in the second half.

Lukas Roesch (So., Sugar Grove, Ohio) finished the game with a season-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Dyer finished with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting and a game-high five assists.

John Brooks (Sr., Perris, Calif.) and Teddy Tassy (Jr., Boca Raton, Fla.) combined for 28 points 10-for-15 shooting. Tassy also chipped in a career-high tying three steals.

UNOH’s Isaac Bowers and Jake Bolyard combined to score 52 of the Racer’s 73 points. The Sharks spread the ball around and had five players score in double-digits. They are now 4-2 when four or more Sharks score in double-figures.

The Sharks will return to their home floor Saturday, Dec. 17th to face Franklin Pierce at 8 p.m.