Box Score
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern men's basketball team (12-15, 8-7 SSC) finished its home schedule the right way Wednesday, defeating the Florida Tech Panthers (16-11, 5-10 SSC), 75-73.
Justin Jeangerard (Jr., Weaverville, Calif.) scored the game-winning 3-pointer with seven seconds left off a set out-of-bounds play. His trey brought his total to 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting.
Chris Page (So., Plainfield, Ind.) was the leading scorer and rebounder for NSU, with 26 points and five boards. He also recorded a career-high five steals.
Brian Cahill (Jr., Arlington, Va.) set the single game record with seven blocks and also had a team-best seven assists. Cahill's final assist came on his inbounds pass to Jeangerard that put the Sharks ahead in the end.
NSU started the game hot and jumped out to an early lead. The Sharks went ahead, 23-12, just nine minutes into the game, but it would be their largest lead Wednesday. The Panthers crashed the boards and earned 20 first-half points in the paint to stay in the contest. Although NSU shot 51.7 percent from the floor in the first half, the Sharks would only lead 38-35 at halftime.
NSU could not rely on its offense in the second half, as the Sharks went cold from the floor. NSU shot only 38 percent in the last 20 minutes and went 7-for-21 from 3-point range. NSU found other ways to stifle the Panthers, causing eight turnovers and forcing the Panthers to shoot 1-for-8 from long range in the second half. The Sharks had a stretch where they only scored five points over six minutes, but FIT would only go up five points with seven minutes remaining.
Timely 3-pointers from Cahill and
Stian Berg (Jr., Baerum, Norway) kept the Sharks in the game, and with 39 seconds left, the two teams were tied at 71 apiece. NSU held possession, and Page attempted to score on a drive to the hoop. FIT's Corbin Jackson, one of the nation's premier shot blockers, denied him and forced the Sharks to inbound with five seconds left on the shot clock. After a timeout, Jeangerard freed himself off a screen, received the inbounds pass and fired a clean 3-pointer to put his team ahead.
NSU wisely fouled on the inbounds pass and the Panthers' Chris Carter made two clutch free throws. Page was sent to the line on the other end with three seconds left and made the first of a one-and-one. He missed the second free throw, forcing the Panthers to scramble for the loose ball and throw up a Hail-Mary shot that went off the mark.
In the end, NSU shot 45 percent from the floor (27-for-60) and 35 percent from 3-point range (13-for-37). Although FIT shot 51 percent from inside the arc, they were held to 3-for-17 from outside. The Sharks were outrebounded, 51-23, but won the turnover battle, 11-19.
Berg finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists.
Casey Carroll (So., Youngstown, Ohio) scored 11 points and secured three boards. The Sharks relied heavily on its all-freshman bench of
Brandon Patchan (Tampa, Fla.),
Cameron Denney (Norwell, Ind.) and
Remi Farrell (Woodbridge, Conn.). The group came through and combined to score four points, collect four boards and dish out two assists.
NSU will finish its regular season schedule Saturday on the road against Saint Leo at 7:30 p.m. The game will broadcast live on 640 Sports.
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