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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men's basketball team (7-3) will look to continue its four-game winning streak when the Sharks travel to West Palm Beach, Fla. to face the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (1-10) Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcasted live on 88.5 FM, Radio X.
The Sharks will be looking to win five straight games Wednesday and equal the team's best 11-game start since the 2008-09 season, when NSU rattled off a seven-game winning streak to start 9-3. In order to completely match that run, NSU will have to return home and upset SSC powerhouse Florida Southern on Saturday.
"I know our guys are looking forward to playing at home Saturday against a red-hot Florida Southern team, but we can't afford to overlook Palm Beach Atlantic Wednesday night," said head coach
Gary Tuell. "I don't think that will happen because we have a very healthy respect for Coach Terry Primm and his PBA squad. Any team good enough to beat Lynn and to play both Tampa and Saint Leo to the wire is good enough to beat us, especially if we're looking ahead."
On paper, the Sailfish do not seem to match up with the rest of NSU's competition. However, the Sailfish have talent and have been in close games all season long, losing by single digits to Saint Leo, Flagler and a then-undefeated Tampa squad. Their lone win came at Lynn in a hostile environment, 72-71.
NSU is coming off its most impressive win of the season, as the Sharks defeated Eckerd on Saturday, Jan. 5, 79-74. The Sharks shot a season-best 53 percent from the floor and drained 11 3-pointers on the night. The Sharks also had their best defensive outing of the season, holding Eckerd to 41.7 percent shooting and a dreadful 5-for-28 from 3-point range, marking the least amount of treys made by an NSU opponent this year. The only knock against NSU was 11 missed free throws, most of which were late in the game, which made the score more respectable for the home team.
The win served as gratification for the hard work the Sharks put into the early season. The coaching staff put together a game plan prior to the year that rewarded NSU's slew of 3-point shooters. NSU has capitalized and is the only team in the SSC to have four players shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range.
The Sharks also worked through one of the nation's toughest nonconference schedules, which included top-10 ranked teams on back-to-back nights and multiple defending conference champions. At 7-3, NSU rolls into the heart of its schedule confident and physically prepared for the level of play in the SSC.
"From the start of the season our focus has been on improving every day, whether in practice or in a game," said Tuell. "For the most part we've done that, which is a credit to the players and the assistant coaches,
Brandon Crone and
Marquise Kiffin, both of whom do a great job correcting mistakes and helping our guys understand the things they need to do to get better.
"We want to use the PBA game to get better. Win or lose, hopefully we will come out of that game with a better understanding of what we're doing. Every day we get a little more comfortable and a little more confident in who we are what and we can do when all five guys are working together with the same goal. This team is overachieving, or at least coming as close to playing to their potential as any team I've coached. We don't want to take a step backward Wednesday night at PBA."
Fans can listen to the game live
HERE. The game will also be available via live stats
HERE. Follow the Sharks on Twitter at
www.Twitter.com/NSUSharks.
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