FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Back at the Rick Case Arena for the first time in 11 days, No. 8 Nova Southeastern put together a dominant display in front of the home crowd, rolling to an 87-58 win over Rollins in Sunshine State Conference action Wednesday night. The Sharks drained a collective 17 three-pointers as a team, including five a piece from Mikkel Kolstad and Nick Smith. Yet it was the defensive effort that shined the brightest, as head coach Jim Crutchfield's club tied a season low in points allowed, while limiting the Tars to just 31.7 percent shooting from the field.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: Nova Southeastern 87, Rollins 58
Records: Nova Southeastern (18-2, 12-2 SSC), Rollins (9-13, 3-11 SSC)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
1ST HALF | Following a welcomed 15 points against Florida Southern last Saturday, Smith continued his offensive resurgence into Wednesday's contest by tallying five of the Sharks' first 10 points of the ball game. With Nova Southeastern already ahead 15-6, the sophomore buried a transition three to extend the margin to a dozen with just under 14 minutes to play in the first half. The lead remained 12 following a Dwayne Gibson triple before back-to-back treys by the Carmel, Ind. native stretched the cushion out to 41-23 with 3:04 left on the clock. After making 11 three's in the opening half earlier this season against Rollins, the Sharks rattled off nine in the first 20 minutes this time around, taking a comfortable 43-29 advantage into the locker room.
2ND HALF | As if its 14-point lead wasn't enough, Nova Southeastern made sure to bury the Tars right away by opening the second half on a 21-3 run. A David Dennis trey put the Sharks ahead by 22 before the first media timeout. Just minutes later, an inbounds pass from Dennis to Kolstad grew the margin to 61-32 when Smith followed with another three to double up the Tars, 64-32, still with 13:08 to play. The margin would get no closer than 25 the rest of the way, as Nova Southeastern locked up the regular season sweep of Rollins in commanding fashion.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- Mark Matthews registered his fourth straight double-double on Wednesday, finishing with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes of action.
- After being held without a three-point attempt in last Saturday's loss, Kolstad, the nation's top three-point shooter, bounced back by making 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.
- In addition to his nine points and five rebounds, Gibson led all players with a game-high seven assists.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- The Sharks two wins over the Tars this season have come by an average of 28 points per game.
UP NEXT:
The Sharks will remain at home on Saturday when they welcome Saint Leo for a 4 p.m. tip-off. NSU edged the Lions, 91-89, in the season's first meeting back on Dec. 8. For complete coverage, follow the Sharks on Twitter @NSU_MBasketball or visit the schedule page on NSUSharks.com.
