Live Video | Live Stats

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s basketball team (7-4, 0-1 SSC) ride a four-game win streak as they head into the thick of Sunshine State Conference play this Wednesday, Jan. 5 against Florida Tech Panthers (10-4, 1-1) at the NSU Arena at the Don Taft University Center. Tipoff will is slated for 7:30 p.m., just after the women’s team faces the Panthers.

The Sharks enter the game off one of its strongest performances of the season in their 79-71 home victory over King Sunday afternoon. They held their opponent to 33 percent shooting from the field Sunday, the lowest for an NSU opponent this season.

“I thought our first half against King College on Sunday was the best 20 minutes we’ve played this season,” said head coach Gary Tuell. “We got scoring inside and outside and most importantly we showed significant improvement defensively, especially in communicating with one another and recognizing what needed to be done. We still have miles to go in a few critical areas but overall we’ve improved.

“Ross Allsop (Sr., Sydney, Australia) did a great job for us anchoring our defense and playing the way we need him to play if we’re going to be a factor in the Sunshine State Conference. So often we look at points and assign a value to a player based on how much he scored. But Ross did the little things that made us affective on the defensive end. He and Robert Huntington (Jr., Perth, Australia) are playing well together. I also thought Lemar Dyer (Sr., Miami, Fla.) seemed more comfortable in our defense and asserted himself at times by making some big plays and coming up with critical steals. As a team, our transition defense was light years better than it has been, but I’m still not pleased with the way we’re rebounding. Certainly that has to improve if we’re going to improve as a team.”

The Sharks have officially wrapped up an out-of-conference schedule that has prepared them for the tough road that is the Sunshine State Conference. They have averaged 88.1 points per game over the first 11 games of the season, the highest average of any SSC school. They also lead the SSC by shooting 43 percent from three-point range.

“We finished 7-3 in non-conference play and with a few more made free throws we could have gone 8-2 or maybe even 9-1 in those games,” Tuell said. “It wasn’t always pretty but these guys have done everything we’ve asked and that’s why they’ve improved. Obviously our offense has had to carry us and I’ve been pleased with the contributions we’ve gotten from everyone. The thing that makes us difficult to defend is not so much that we all shoot the three well, but that we have nine or ten guys who are capable of starting and playing well on any given night.”

Coach Tuell has backed this belief up by pushing out a different starting lineup every outing over the past eight games. Nine players have started at least one game for the Sharks while no players has started in all 11 games.

“I honestly don’t know from game to game who will start, nor do I give that much thought,” said Tuell. “They’re all going to play and the guys who play the hardest defensively are usually going to play the most that night. The fact that our guys have been unselfish with their playing time and haven’t let themselves get caught up in minutes and points has been one of the big reasons we’ve been able to get better. If we keep our focus on the team and not get sidetracked by selfishness, then we should continue improving. Our games with King, Alabama-Huntsville and Valdosta State have proven to us that we’re capable of competing at a very high level.”

The Sharks will now face a Panthers squad that stands at 10-4 and already has an SSC win against Saint Leo. They win games by pounding the boards and outrebounding their opponents by a 7.5 margin, the second highest in the conference.

“Florida Tech is as talented as any team in our league,” said Tuell. “They have size and depth and experience. Offensively, they are explosive and can score in a variety of ways, both inside and outside. As good as this league is, I don’t know that any team presents as many problems for your defense as Florida Tech can. On top of that, they have Justin Sedlak who is a scoring machine. He’s been Player of the Week in the league now about two billion times over the past four years. Heck, we haven’t had a Player of the Week since Tim Coenraad graduated. No matter what we do defensively, Sedlak will find ways to score. So we have to do a good job trying to limit the other players on Tech’s team, and that’s a tall order because they have so many talented scorers.”

NSU will have the good fortune of playing the next few conference games at home, against Saint Leo and Barry as well as the upcoming Florida Tech game. The Sharks are 6-1 at home, with their lone loss coming against an opponent they later beat on the road.

“It’s nice to be at home, but honestly I would prefer to play on the road since our students won’t be here until next week,” stated Tuell. “The only way you truly have a home court advantage is when you have a crowd behind you to motivate you and keep you enthused. So playing at home this week is nice, but it would be much better if we had the student body with us. They’ve given us great support this year and we’re going to miss their contribution.”

The road ahead will not contain any easy nights for the NSU men’s basketball team. Coach Tuell believes their tough out-of-conference schedule has prepared them for what lies ahead in the tough SSC.

“Every team has talented players and every team is capable of winning on any given night,” said Tuell. “Not only do we have some outstanding teams in this league, but we have one of the best balanced leagues in the nation. There is such a small, small difference between the top and the bottom in the SSC. That’s why you have to play your best every night out or you’re going to get your feelings hurt by somebody. Hopefully, the non-conference games with teams like King, Alabama-Huntsville, Valdosta State, Franklin Pierce and Flagler have helped to prepare us for league play.”

Fans unable to attend the game can watch the Sharks via live video HERE or follow the Sharks through live stats HERE.