FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Back for his 13^th season in charge, head coach Gary Tuell and Nova Southeastern will make its 2016-17 regular season debut Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET against nearby St. Thomas (Fla.).
 
The Sharks were able to shake off any rust earlier in the week, proving to be a very tough out for NCAA Division I opponent South Florida in Monday's exhibition. A tough 3-for-18 shooting start from the field dug Nova Southeastern into a deep 19-point hole late in the first half, yet the Sharks battled back and cut the deficit to just five points with under one minute remaining. The Bulls were eventually able to ice the game from the free throw line, however, and escaped with a 72-64 win.
 
Despite the loss, the Sharks received a pair of uplifting performances in the effort from 2015-16 Second Team All-Sunshine State Conference performer Harrison Goodrick and newcomer Lukas Landgren. Goodrick, the league leader in rebounding a year ago, filled up the stat sheet with 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists – all team highs. Meanwhile, Landgren kept the defense honest with his outside shooting, connecting on 3-of-7 treys in 29 minutes of action in his Shark debut.
 
"I'm not sure he knows how good he can be, but we think Lukas can blossom into a special player," Tuell said when referencing the transfer from Monroe College. "He definitely has the talent to put up numbers. His skill set and his understanding of the game are very good."
 
The Sharks may have only one preseason contest under their belt, but St. Thomas on the other hand enters Friday already on a four-game winning streak to begin the year following an 88-83 victory this past Tuesday versus Talladega College.
 
The Bobcats haven't had much trouble getting their offense rolling in the early going, averaging 85.5 points per game through the first week of the season including a 92-point output on the road at Tennesse Wesleyan back on November 3. Shouldering the majority of that scoring load thus far has been the combination of Raheem Bowman, Armand Shoon, Michael Walker and Kristers Zeidaks. At least three of the four have scored in double figures in each contest this season – Bowman notching 35 and 23-point performances along the way.
 
NSU earned an 84-80 victory over the Bobcats in last year's opener at the NSU Arena.
 
For complete coverage of the action, follow along on Twitter at @NSU_MBasketball and by clicking on the provided links on the schedule page.