MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – In a matchup featuring two of the Sunshine State Conference's top teams, it was Barry who walked out with the upper hand over Nova Southeastern on Saturday in Miami Shores, Fla. The Buccaneers converted on 20-of-37 attempts from beyond the arc, picking up half of those from Sunday Dech, en route to a 105-83 win in a ball game featured as part of the ESPN3 Division II Showcase. Freshman Malik Hardy tallied a team-high 24 points for the Sharks, while David Dennis chipped in with 15 of his own. However, head coach Jim Crutchfield's club couldn't quite shake Barry from its impressive offensive rhythm.   

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Barry 105, Nova Southeastern 83
Records: Barry (17-6, 13-5 SSC), Nova Southeastern (17-7, 11-7 SSC)
Location: Health & Sports Center | Miami Shores, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1st Half | During its five-game win streak, Nova Southeastern had been limiting opponents to 71.6 points per game, yet struggled to find its footing on the defensive end Saturday. A blistering 7-of-8 start, including 4-of-5 from deep, pushed the Buccaneers out to a 20-7 advantage at the first media timeout. A transition lay-up by Hardy kept the Sharks within 12 at the 8:50 mark. Barry's outside shooting, though, particularly Dech, proved to be a momentum killer all afternoon. The Bucs guard connected on 5-of-6 treys in the first half alone as Barry eventually carried a 48-34 lead into the break.

2nd Half | Not even the 15-minute intermission at halftime could cool off Barry's hot shooting. Picking up right where he left off, Dech opened the second half with another triple before the Bucs ran off 10 unanswered to extend their lead to 58-34. A strong finish in traffic by Pat Huffine capped a 9-2 spurt for the Sharks, narrowing the gap to 68-52. Dwayne Gibson would later follow with a bucket to close the margin to 82-68 with 5:35 left. However, that would be as close as Nova Southeastern get the rest of the way in suffering its first defeat since Jan, 24. 

UP NEXT:
NSU will look to bounce back on Senior Night this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET against Palm Beach Atlantic. For complete coverage of the action, follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MBasketball or visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com.