MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – In its most gutty performance of the season, No. 5 Nova Southeastern erased an 11-point deficit on the road en route to a 90-85 victory over Barry on Wednesday night in Miami Shores, Fla. Mark Matthews took over down the stretch, eventually finishing with a game-high 26 points, while Mikkel Kolstad added 21 of his own to lift the Sharks to their first regular season sweep of the Buccaneers since 2009-10.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 90, Barry 85
Records: Nova Southeastern (17-1, 11-1 SSC), Barry (11-8, 6-6 SSC)
Location: Health & Sports Center | Miami Shores, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1ST HALF | A transition three, the second within the first 3:30 of the ball game by Kolstad, pushed the Sharks out to an early 12-8 edge. Turnovers would prove costly, though, as one of Nova Southeastern's 11 miscues of the first half allowed Barry to grab a narrow 17-16 advantage. However, the Bucs' lead was short-lived following a Dwayne Gibson trey on the ensuing possession. Nova Southeastern remained in front, 30-29, at the 5:13 mark following a lay-in by Kolstad, who paced the Sharks with 15 points in the opening 20 minutes. Nine straight makes by the Bucs would erase the slim lead, though, as point guard Milon Sheffield hit three consecutive three's at one point during the stretch, giving the home team a double-digit cushion. Eddie Puisis quieted the crowd with a runner off the glass at the buzzer, but the Sharks still entered the locker room facing their largest halftime deficit of the season, down 50-43.
2ND HALF | Just what the doctor ordered, Nova Southeastern ripped off six unanswered points to climb to within 50-49 just 1:40 into the second half. Yet, back-to-back three's by Barry's David Moya put the Sharks right back in a seven-point hole, which is where the margin would remain still with less than 12 minutes to play. A huge four-point play by Kolstad out of a timeout made it a four-point ball game before an outstanding pass by Gibson from his stomach to Kolstad for a reverse lay-up evened up the contest at 71-71 just over the midway point of the half. A Matthews baby hook off the glass handed the Sharks their first lead since 5:13 to go in the first at 73-71, which soon grew to 78-71 following a 13-1 run. Six straight points by Barry quickly trimmed the margin back to one until Matthews quieted the crowd with a jumper plus the foul with 4:16 left in regulation. The Bucs would close to within a bucket once again after four consecutive points from Tylan Birts, and once again the Sharks answered the call, this time getting a jumper from Puisis to cling to a four-point edge. Barry trimmed Nova Southeastern's six-point lead in half in the waning seconds, but it was too little too late, as head coach Jim Crutchfield's bunch held on for the tough win.
UP NEXT:
The Sharks will look to carry their momentum into Lakeland, Fla. this Saturday when they square off against Florida Southern at 7:30 p.m. NSU defeated the then-No. 7 Moccasins, 117-95, in the season's first meeting back on Dec. 29. For complete coverage, follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MBasketball or visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com.
