Box Score FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men's basketball team returned to action Tuesday night, falling to Embry-Riddle at the NSU Arena, 79-63.
The Sharks (1-2) held the Eagles (7-0), ranked No. 13 in the preseason in NAIA, to 2-of-9 shooting to start before the visitors strung together seven consecutive makes, including three straight 3-pointers, turning a 5-2 lead into a 23-8 advantage. ERAU was playing their first game against a Sunshine State Conference school since accepting a prospective bid to join the league next year.
NSU, already shorthanded, played without another starter in
Justin Jeangerard (Sr., Weaverville, Calif.), but were able to cut it to nine at the half, 36-27. However, the depth and size of the Eagles allowed them to shoot better after the break than before (51.7 percent to 48.4 percent), leading them to the road win.
Troy Spears (Fr., Martinsville, Ind.) led the Sharks with a career-high 16 points, on 5-of-7 shooting, and also went 2-of-3 from behind the arc. He played a team-high 30 minutes, which also set a career-best mark. Spears was joined in double digits by
Maurice Fuller (Sr., Westfield, Ind.) with a season-high 11, which included three 3-pointers.
Harrison Goodrick (So., Sydney, Australia) added nine points and four rebounds, while
Stian Berg (Sr., Baerum, Norway) had eight points on the night, all of which came at the free throw line in 10 attempts. All told, the Sharks went 24-for-30 from the charity stripe for an even 80 percent success rate. The team also had seven blocked shots on the night.
ERAU was led by Cesar Pastrana, who had a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds. DeForest Carter added 20 points and six assists.
The Sharks will be back at the NSU Arena this upcoming weekend, hosting their annual Thanksgiving Classic. On Friday, at 8 p.m., they will take on Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, and the following day, at the same tip time, will play host to Seton Hill.
