FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The dynamic duo of Connor Zinaich, the reigning USBWA Division II National Player of the Week, and Mark Matthews were at it once again on Saturday afternoon at the Rick Case Arena, as they both reached the 30-point plateau for the first time in their respective Shark careers to lead fifth-ranked Nova Southeastern to a dominating 117-95 victory of seventh-ranked Florida Southern in one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of the month across DII basketball. With the win over the Sunshine State Conference preseason favorites, the Sharks extend their streak to begin the season to a program-record 10 games, surpassing the previous record of nine set by the Sun Conference Champion Knights in February 1995.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 117, Florida Southern 95
Records: Nova Southeastern (10-0, 4-0 SSC), Florida Southern (9-2, 2-1 SSC)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram - @NSU_MBasketball
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
1ST HALF | The Sharks wasted no time, taking a 19-7 lead just over four minutes into the game, by forcing turnovers on seven of the Moccasins' first 12 possessions, while making six consecutive field goals, all layups, themselves, allowing them to go on a 10-0 run that took just 64 seconds. The tone set by the Sharks' unrelenting press coverage was too much for Florida Southern to overcome, as they never got closer than six for the rest of the game and trailed by double-digits for the final 32:40. A 21-8 stretch brought lead up to 19 points, followed by a 14-4 run after the final media timeout, for an overwhelming 71-46 halftime lead.
 
2ND HALF | A 15-4 stretch got the Moccasins as close as 17 points in the second half, but it wasn't nearly enough, as the Sharks used a 14-5 run of their own to get back up by 26 with 11:31 left just as quickly and only briefly let the drop below 20. An old-fashioned three-point play by Mikkel Kolstad with 6:52 to go pushed the Sharks above the century mark for the fourth game in a row and the eighth time overall this season.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:
 

• Zinaich led all scorers with a whopping 39 points, 17 in the first half and 22 in the second, on 15-of-23 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, as well as a game-high four steals
• Matthews wasn't far behind, pouring in 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting and 2-for-3 from long distance. After hitting on all seven of his field goal attempts in the first half, he extended his streak to ten straight, missing his first shot with 13:14 left in the game.
• David Dennis dished out 10 assists and committed just two turnovers, adding 11 points for a double-double. This was his fourth career double-digit output and first since Dec. 11, 2017.
• Dwayne Gibson matched his career-high of seven assists, in addition to 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting and five rebounds.
• On the other side, Jonathan Lawton led with 31 points, thanks to 14 of 15 made from the foul line, while Brett Hanson had a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Zinaich's 39 points are the most by any Shark since Feb. 13, 2016, when Chris Page set the program record with 41 in a 105-91 upset of No. 12 Barry, coincidentally also the last time two Sharks scored 30 or more points in the same game, as he combined with Harrison Goodrick to do. Ziniaich's 15 field goals, meanwhile, broke Kevin Chester's program-record of 14, in a 39-point performance in a 95-94 double-overtime win over Rollins at the Rick Case Arena on Feb. 20, 2008.
• After losing five straight home games to Florida Southern, the Sharks have now knocked off the Mocs in back-to-back season, reaching the century mark both times. They defeated a ranked Moccasin squad for the first time in 11 tries, after five straight losses to top-10 teams from 2013 through 2015.
• Entering the game as the nation's leader in nine different statistical categories, the Sharks improved their points per game to 111.1 and their assists to 22.9 per game.
• Florida Southern came in allowing just 73.6 points per game, a number the Sharks nearly surpassed with their 71-point first half. They had not allowed more than 53 points in any single half this season or more than 41 in any first half. They allowed 117 or more points in regulation for the first time in nearly 43 years, when they lost at Clemson 122-79 on Feb. 28, 1976.
• The Sharks improve to 4-0 in conference play for just the second play and the first since the 2008-09 season.

 
UP NEXT:
 
The Sharks will look to keep the undefeated season going on Wednesday when they travel up to Winter Park, Fla. to take on the Rollins Tars at 7:30 p.m.