FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The emotional lift from the pregame Senior Night festivities carried Nova Southeastern early on, but eventually wore of as Palm Beach Atlantic erased a 14-point deficit to beat the Sharks 97-92 in overtime Wednesday night at the Rick Case Arena. All five Nova Southeastern starters scored in double-figures, including a team-high, 24-point effort from Malik Hardy. However, a hungry Sailfish side made the necessary plays down the stretch, prolonging the chance for the Sharks to clinch a spot as a Top-4 seed and host in next week's Sunshine State Conference Tournament quarterfinal round.  
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Palm Beach  Atlantic 97, Nova Southeastern 92 (OT)
Records: Palm Beach Atlantic (15-15, 9-10), Nova Southeastern (17-8, 11-8 SSC)
Location: The Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram - @NSU_MBasketball | Facebook - /NSUSharksAthletics

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1^st Half | In his final regular season start at home, Troy Spears, one of two seniors honored prior to tip-off, came out firing in the opening moments. The 6-foot-4 guard converted a lay-up underneath on a feed from David Dennis before draining back-to-back three's to put the Sharks up 10-5. The treys kept falling for Nova Southeastern as Hardy connected on a pair of his own to push the lead out to 28-16 at the 11:07 mark. The Sailfish would soon begin to chip away, though, and closed to within 36-32 after Marshall Riddle hit three consecutive free-throw attempts. An old-fashioned three-point play by Palm Beach Atlantic later trimmed the margin to 41-38, and after trailing for nearly the entire half, pulled back even at 48-48 on a lay-in just before the halftime buzzer.
2^nd Half | The Sailfish used a 13-4 run to start the second half, opening up a 61-52 advantage, their largest of the ball game. The Sharks would answer back and narrowed the gap to one on four separate occasions until finally regaining a 77-76 edge with 6:27 to play in regulation on a lay-up by Dennis. Deadlocked at 82-82 with 1:21 remaining, Palm Beach Atlantic climbed back on top after Grant Gullet hit 1-of-2 at the line. A Nick Smith trey quieted the Sailfish fans in attendance, yet, Gullet once again came up key for Palm Beach Atlantic and knotted the contest at 85-85. The Sailfish had once final chance with seven seconds left to win the game in regulation. A strong defensive stand for the Sharks, though, forced Gullet into a tough jump shot as the contest soon entered into overtime.

OT | Palm Beach Atlantic erased a four-point deficit before pulling ahead by three on a Gullet jumper in the final minute of the extra session. Hardy rolled in a tough shot in the lane to make it a 93-92 contest with 26 seconds showing. An apparent steal by Dennis on the ensuing possession was whistled for a foul, giving the Sailfish two freebies at the charity stripe. Searching for the tying three in the waning seconds, Dennis had his contested attempt partially blocked, allowing Palm Beach Atlantic to escape with the victory.

UP NEXT:
NSU will wrap-up its regular season this Saturday at 4 p.m. ET when it hits the road to face Florida Tech. For complete coverage of the action, follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MBasketball or visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com.