640 SPORTS | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men’s basketball team (12-13, 6-9 SSC) will complete its regular season schedule Saturday at 4 p.m. when the Sharks take on the Rollins Tars (16-9, 9-6 SSC) at the NSU Arena in the Don Taft University Center. Seniors
Robert Huntington (Perth, Australia) and
Teddy Tassy (Port-au-Prince, Haiti) will be honored prior to the game during senior day festivities.
“Saturday will be a special day for us since we have both the chance to host a rejuvenated Rollins College team and, more importantly, we’ll honor two seniors who have meant so much to our program over the past three or four years,” said head coach Gary Tuell. “Senior Day is always bittersweet because we recognize guys who have given so much of themselves to NSU both on and off the court, and deserve their praise, but at the same time we say goodbye to people who will leave a huge hole in our basketball family when they’re finished.”
Tassy is one of only five athletes in NSU men’s basketball history to appear in over 100 games. Tassy has been a staple in the rotation for four straight seasons, playing multiple roles for the Sharks. He is one of the most prolific shooters in school history, as he became only the second player ever to drain over 130 3-pointers and 190 free throws in a career. He will graduate NSU with a degree in business administration.
Huntington came to NSU as a sophomore and has been an impact player since the first time he stepped into the NSU Arena. Huntington has made a name for himself as a lengthy defender and an efficient scorer. Huntington has shot 53 percent from the floor in his three years at NSU and on the defensive end, is one of the top-10 best shot blockers in NSU history with 43 blocks. He was recently named an Academic All-American and will graduate with a degree in exercise and sports science.
“I am so proud of Teddy for all the things he’s overcome in his life, and how he’s matured and grown with grace and class,” said Tuell. “He’s been an integral part of our program for four years, contributing countless highlights and helping us win a lot of games. Rob came to us after his freshman year at High Point University and throughout his three years he’s been a leader and a major contributor to whatever success we’ve enjoyed. To top it off, he was recently recognized as an Academic All-American, so nothing more needs to be said in terms of his character and work ethic on and off the floor.
“These two guys have been great captains, great teammates and will always be remembered with fondness and great affection by everyone who has been lucky enough to know them. I know they both feel that we have a lot more to do this season and want to take us to places we’ve never gone as a program, but certainly they are worthy of recognition right now for the accomplishments they’ve already achieved here.”
The regular season finale will be no cake walk as the Tars will look to secure the third seed in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament, beginning Wednesday, Feb. 29. Earlier in the season, the Tars defeated the Sharks at home, 65-56. Huntington and
Iran Hollis (Jr., Hollywood, Fla.) each posted a team-high 12 points in the loss.
Shaun Pratl (Jr., Chicago Ridge, Ill.) was one basket away from a double-double with eight points and a team-best 10 rebounds.
“Rollins has apparently made some roster changes in the past week that seem to have restored them to a team that looks more familiar to us and reminds me of the Rollins team that won the league last year,” said Tuell. “They have returned to a more structured and disciplined offensive approach and will be a huge challenge for us Saturday. Whenever you play Rollins you have to deal with the myriad of zone defenses that Coach Tom Klusman is famous for. Scoring against them is always a difficult task because you see defenses from Rollins that you don’t encounter any other time of the year.
“They are very big, very long and very talented. Chris Malcolm probably blocked a gazillion shots the first time we saw them, and Brett Chance, Myk Brown and Ian Scott are three veterans who – along with Malcolm – helped them win the conference championship a year ago. I always enjoy the challenge of playing Rollins and visiting with Coach Klusman, but this particular day is more about celebrating our two seniors than anything else.”
The Sharks currently sit in a three-way tie with South Florida rivals Lynn and Barry in the SSC standings. Win or lose, NSU could end up facing Eckerd, Florida Tech or Saint Leo on the road in the first round of the postseason. With so many scenarios possible, the main goal will be to gather momentum heading into the tournament.
“Who knows how things will shake out with the conference race,” stated Tuell. “It looks like we’ll be on the road Wednesday at Florida Tech, Saint Leo or Eckerd, and all of those teams are as good as it gets. Certainly night in and night out those have been the three best teams in the league, so we’ll have our hands full wherever we go. But I’ve said all along that I like our team and I like our chances. I thought our guys showed what they were all about in our win at Lynn Wednesday. We had every reason to hang our heads and feel sorry for ourselves after the kicking we took at Saint Leo Saturday before going to Lynn, and lesser men would have struggled to bounce back.
“But these guys not only bounced back, I think they answered the Saint Leo loss with their best defensive effort of the season. We had numerous guys step up and display both mental and physical toughness. I have never been more proud of a team than I was Wednesday night at Lynn. Win or lose, we showed what kind of competitors we have. And we showed the character of our team. Hopefully that will carry over into the Rollins game Saturday and into the tournament next week.”
Fans can listen to the game live on 640 Sports or watch the game
HERE. Live stats will also be available
HERE. Follow the Sharks on Twitter at
www.Twitter.com/NSU_MBasketball.
For the latest NSU news and results, be sure to visit
www.NSUSharks.com. To have results sent directly to your cell phone via text message, sign up for SMS text message delivery by
clicking here. For the latest news, be sure to sign up for the Shark Alert E-newsletter by
clicking here.
