BOX SCORE

TAMPA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s basketball team (8-6, 3-2 SSC) won its third-straight game Saturday as the Sharks dismantled the Tampa Spartans (4-11, 0-6 SSC), 55-52, in Tampa, Fla.

Iran Hollis (Jr., Hollywood, Fla.) had a career-high 19 points to lead the Sharks. He passed his previous career-high of 15 in the second half alone with 17. He had a near flawless shooting night as he went 5-for-6 from the floor and 9-for-10 from the foul line. He also added a team-best seven rebounds, an assist and a steal. Robert Huntington (Sr., Perth, Australia) had a game-high five assists along with five rebounds and five points.

The game was a defensive struggle as each team was locked down by the other. Neither squad made a run as both stayed within one possession of the other for the majority of the period. The Sharks shot 10-for-26, 38.5 percent, in the half and outrebounded the home team, 19-15. Tampa drained a three-pointer in the final minute of the half to enter the break ahead, 27-24. Lukas Roesch (Jr., Sugar Grove, Ohio) led the Sharks in points at the break with six on two treys.

The Sharks struggled offensively out of the gate in the second half but kept Tampa from running away with the ball game. Tampa led for the majority of the half but always by no more than five points. Hollis was hit with his fourth foul with six minutes left and his team down, 41-39. The coaching staff left him on the floor and Hollis rewarded them for it. He scored 11 down the stretch along with two rebounds and an assist.

Hollis made a layup with 3:19 on the clock to put his team ahead, 48-47. The Sharks would not trail for the remainder of the game but only led by as much as four points. The Spartans had two chances to tie the game with a three in the final seven seconds but could not extend the game.

Roesch finished the game with 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting to go along with four rebounds and a steal. Shaun Pratl (Jr., Chicago Ridge, Ill.) came off the bench to score six points on 50 percent shooting. Justin Jeangerard (Fr., Weaverville, Fla.) tied Hollis for the team-lead in rebounds with seven and also contributed two assists and a steal. The Sharks shot 43 percent (18-for-42) from the floor but only 28 percent (8-for-29) outside of the team’s top-two scorers.

Teddy Tassy (Sr., Port-au-Prince, Haiti) appeared in his 96th game at NSU, passing Traavis Chandler on the all-time games played list. Currently ranking sixth all-time, he will need the Sharks to advance to the Sunshine State Conference Tournament final in order to match Tim Coenraad’s record of 111 games played.

The Sharks will return home this Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. to face cross-town rival Lynn.

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