FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Head coach
Jim Crutchfield knows his team has plenty to work on, yet can put a check mark next to win No. 1, as his Nova Southeastern program overcame a sloppy start en route to an eventual 86-65 victory in its long-awaited season opener against Florida National. Newcomer
Sekou Sylla collected a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in the effort, while freshman
Dallas Graziani provided a much-needed spark off the bench, registering a program-record 10 steals.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Score: No. 13 Nova Southeastern 86, Florida National 65
Records: No. 13 Nova Southeastern (1-0), Florida National (1-2)
Location: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Get Social: Twitter - @NSU_MBasketball | Instagram - @NSU_MBasketball
HOW IT HAPPENED:
1
st Half | The Sharks shot just 1-of-11 from beyond the arc and committed 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Held scoreless through the first 2:04, NSU dug itself an early 8-0 deficit before trailing by as many as 17 with 8:03 to play in the half. Sylla would soon take over on the inside, though, propelling the Sharks back into the ball game. A personal 8-0 run by Sylla pulled the Sharks to within 37-33 at the 3:16 mark. Another lay-up by the Brooklyn native made it a one-point contest just moments later before his pair of free throws gave NSU its first lead 40-39 with 1:55 remaining. Despite the early struggles, NSU entered the halftime locker room clinging to a 42-41 edge.
2
nd Half | The second half looked much more like what Shark fans have been accustomed to during Crutchfield's tenure. NSU grabbed the lead for good on a Sylla lay-in just over a minute into the second half, which was then followed up by a
Kobe Rodgers fast-break dunk. An old-fashioned, three-point play by
Eddie Puisis kept the momentum going when
Lukas Speidel buried a three-pointer to stretch the cushion to double digits with 14:00 to go. Out on the run once again, Speidel threw the ball up for
Shane Hunter, who was undercut by his defender, yet still managed to convert the finish for an eventual three-point play. Puisis then scored seven straight for the Sharks before Rodgers drilled a three from the right wing to extend the margin to 70-54. Smith would steal the ensuing inbounds pass and find Puisis for anther triple, forcing the Conquistadors to take timeout. With the contest all but over, Graziani helped put the exclamation point on the win, scooping up one of his 10 steals and finding Hunter on the other end for a dunk. The slam ran NSU's lead to 81-63, as the clock would soon wind down with the Sharks securing the comfortable 21-point victory.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- Prior to Saturday, the Sharks had last taken the court on Mar. 8, 2020 in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament final.
- Sylla tallied 14 of NSU's final 17 points of the first half, spanning a stretch of 3:45.
- Six players earned their first game action with the Sharks on Saturday.
- NSU has now won all four of its season openers under Crutchfield, doing so by an average of 30.5 points.
STATS OF THE NIGHT:
- The Sharks turned 28 FNU turnovers into 34 points.
- NSU shot 60 percent from the floor in the second half, outscoring FNU by a 44-24 margin.
- Puisis (15), Hunter (11), and Speidel (11) joined Sylla in double figures for the Sharks.
- After FNU shot over 57 percent in the first half, the Sharks limited the Conquistadors to just 30.4 percent from the field in the second.
UP NEXT:
The Sharks will dive right into SSC play next Saturday when they play host to Tampa. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. For complete coverage of the action, visit the
schedule page on NSUSharks.com or follow the Sharks on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_MBasketball.
