BOX SCORE

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s basketball team (4-5) battled back from a seven-point halftime deficit to force overtime against West Georgia (10-1) Saturday night, but fell in the extra frame, 80-76. Lukas Roesch (Jr., Sugar Grove, Ohio) went 8-for-9 from the field, dropping in a game-high 21 points, including 18 in the second half on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting performance.
 
The Wolves opened up the game on a 16-4 run through the first seven minutes of action. Da’Ron Sims tallied five points for West Georgia during that span. A pair of Jacob Reed (So., Perth, Australia) free throws closed the gap to six, 20-14, but the Wolves responded and pushed the lead back to 12 on a Sims jumper.
 
NSU was able to shrink the margin with a 12-7 run over the final 6:40 of the opening half to head into the break down only seven, 37-30. Robert Huntington (Sr., Perth, Australia) provided the much-needed offense for the Sharks, recorded seven of his 17 points during that stretch.
 
Gavin Field led all scorers with 14 points at the break, while Huntington paced NSU with nine points and five rebounds.
 
Roesch took over early in the second half for the Sharks, dropping in four early points to get NSU within six, 47-41. A pair of Roesch free throws and a Huntington layup trimmed the Wolves lead to two with 14 minutes left to play, the smallest West Georgia lead since the 15:40 mark in the first half.
 
With 7:33 left, Roesch hit back-to-back buckets to even the score at 61-61. The Sharks took the lead at 65-64 on a Tim Traversa  (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) lay in. It was the first time NSU went ahead since leading 4-3 just two minutes into the game.
 
Justin Jeangerard (Fr., Weaverville, Calif.) gave the Sharks a two-point advantage with two from the charity stripe, but Sims hit a baseline jumper with under a minute left in regulation to knot the score, 71-71. Lavon Gray missed a last-second 3-point attempt and the game headed to overtime.
 
In overtime, the Sharks’ defense that was smothering in the second half, gave up a quick seven points to the Wolves. NSU pushed back one last time as Sean Mullan (Jr., Mangerton, Australia) drilled a triple and Iran Hollis (Jr., Hollywood, Fla.) sank a jumper to get within two, 78-76.
 
A late turnover doomed the Sharks though, as West Georgia sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with 2.6 seconds left to play.
 
Roesch and Field tied for a game-high 21 points. Sims also put 20 in the scorebook for the Wolves. Jeangerard, who scored two late points, grabbed a career- and game-high 12 boards. Huntington came up two rebounds short of a double-double, posting 17 points and eight boards.
 
NSU will be back in action Monday at 3 p.m. in the NSU Arena at the Don Taft University Center, taking on Keene State in the final game of the Trip Sports Cruzin Classic.

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