FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. –
Nick Smith poured in a career-high 27 points, while
Mark Matthews added 24 of his own, as No. 2 Nova Southeastern set the tone early en route to a commanding 123-83 victory over Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday night. The Sharks scored the first 13 points of the ball game, proving to be a precursor of what resulted in yet another dominant effort to start the 2019-20 season.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 123, Trevecca Nazarene 83
Records: Nova Southeastern (2-0), Trevecca Nazarene (0-4)
Location: The Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram - @NSU_MBasketball
HOW IT HAPPENED:
1
st Half | If the opening possession was any indication which direction the contest would be headed,
RJ Sunahara's put-back dunk certainly backed it up. The Sharks forced the Trojans to start 0-of-5 from the field, while collecting three turnovers in the process. On the offensive end, Matthews had his way with a quick six points before a Sunahara three-pointer pushed the lead out to 13-0 just over three minutes in. The margin grew to 29-8 midway through the half after NSU's inbounds pressure forced two straight five-second calls. An
Eddie Puisis trey then extended the advantage to 36-8, leaving Trevecca Nazarene no choice but to call timeout with 9:01 left. Smith was locked in offensively Saturday, and hit his fourth three of the half to stretch the cushion to 42-11. Sunahara then contributed to the Sharks' 24 first-half points-off-turnovers with a steal and slam, leaving way for Matthews, who beat the buzzer to send NSU into the locker room comfortably on top, 69-36.
2
nd Half | The lead remained 83-42 following another Smith triple. The junior later showed off his handles as well, beating his defender off the dribble for a strong finish plus the foul with 10:36 to play. Matthews pushed the Sharks over the century mark still with 8:32 showing on the clock before head coach
Jim Crutchfield said his night was done just 30 seconds later. In an impressive showing by
Shane Hunter, the true freshman drained a midrange jumper to keep the margin hovering around 40, with
Bryce Schneider eventually putting the finishing touches on the win in the final moments with two of his five points in the effort.
STATS OF THE NIGHT:
- Matthews and Smith each finished 10-of-14 from the field in the win. Together, Matthews, Smith and Sunahara accounted for 28 of NSU's 41 made field goals.
- The Sharks committed just seven turnovers on Saturday after coughing the ball up 22 times in Wednesday's opener.
- Puisus recorded 17 points in just 16 minutes off the bench.
- Hunter posted 13 points and five rebounds in only his second collegiate contest.
UP NEXT:
The Sharks will get their first taste of Sunshine State Conference action next Saturday when they travel to face Tampa. For complete coverage of the action, visit the
schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MBasketball.
