FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Following an off week, Nova Southeastern appeared more than prepared in its second showdown of the season with Sunshine State Conference opponent Embry-Riddle. The Sharks forced the Eagles into 23 turnovers and raced out to a 28-point halftime lead before coasting to an 89-65 victory at home Saturday. Nova Southeastern fell to Embry-Riddle on the road earlier in the year, but left no doubt this time around, receiving 19 points apiece from David Dennis and Malik Hardy to go along with 12 points and six rebounds from Gerard Tarin.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 89, Embry-Riddle 65
Records: Nova Southeastern (14-6, 8-6 SSC), Embry-Riddle (10-12, 4-10)
Location: The Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1^st Half | The Sharks trailed 9-8 at the 13:24 mark of the opening half, yet soon kicked into high gear thanks to their energy and active defense. An old-fashioned three-point by Dennis ignited a 10-0 run to help Jim Crutchfield's bunch grasp control of the contest.  Ahead by eight, Nova Southeastern ripped off 12 more unanswered points, holding the Eagles scoreless for a 3:34 span. Following four straight by Dennis, Isaac White drained treys on back-to-back possessions before Tarin extended the margin to 37-17 with 4:18 left prior to the break. A steal by White led to two more for Tarin in the final minute of the half when Hardy beat the buzzer from deep to grow the advantage all the way to 51-23 heading into the locker room.

2^nd Half | Despite the whopping advantage, Nova Southeastern showed no signs of complacency to start the second half. After forcing an offensive foul on Embry-Riddle's Luka Majstorovic, Nick Stampley added even more salt to the wound by throwing down a two-handed dunk on the 6-foot-9 center to on the other end of the floor electrify the crowd. A Dennis lay-in doubled up the Eagles, giving the Sharks a 66-33 advantage. Moments later, Nick Smith connected from beyond the arc to stretch the cushion to 39, Nova Southeastern's largest lead of the night, as the Sharks could finally let off the gas the win securely in the bag.  

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• The 24-point margin of victory was the largest for Nova Southeastern since beating St. Thomas (Fla.) 115-90 back in November of this season.
• With the win, the Sharks move back into sole possession of fourth place in the league at 8-6. The top-four teams will host during the SSC Tournament quarterfinal round.  
• Nova Southeastern led for 35:04 of the ball game.

 STATS OF THE NIGHT:

• The Sharks dished out 20 assists compared to nine turnovers, while the Eagles tallied just nine assists to go with their 23 turnovers.
• Nova Southeastern limited Embry-Riddle to only 31.0 percent shooting in the first half, including 1-of-10 from three.
• Dwayne Gibson was one of four Sharks to score in double-figures in the effort, registering 11 points and three assists.

UP NEXT:
NSU will hit the road next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET in a SSC matchup against Saint Leo. For complete coverage of the action, follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MBasketball or visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com.